Australian cricket coach Andrew McDonald believes that fast bowler Mitchell Starc will be ready to play in the important fifth Test against India. This match is set to take place soon after Australia celebrated an impressive victory over India in the fourth Test in Melbourne, where they won by 184 runs. Australia is currently leading the series 2-1, and if they win or draw the next game in Sydney, they will reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Winning this match will also secure their spot in the World Test Championship final against South Africa in June.
Starc, who bowled 41 overs in Melbourne, experienced some rib pain towards the end of the match. Coach McDonald stated that the team will evaluate Starc’s condition closely before making any decisions. He thinks it’s a positive sign that Starc kept bowling despite the discomfort, as he was able to get back to his best after warming up.
For the upcoming match, there are also concerns about Mitch Marsh, who has not performed well in this series. He has struggled to score runs and has not taken any wickets in the last three Tests because of a back issue from the first match. Coach McDonald assured fans that Marsh has no injury problems, but acknowledged that he needs to improve his performance. A possible replacement for Marsh, Beau Webster, is included in the squad.
On the Indian side, questions are rising about their captain Rohit Sharma’s form. He has been having a tough time, failing to score more than 10 runs in any of his five innings while in Australia, following a disappointing series against New Zealand at home.
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