Mitchell Starc ruled out of Sydney Test? Pat Cummins drops major update

Australia captain Pat Cummins revealed left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc's fitness after the fourth Test against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. Pat Cummins confirmed that Mitchell Starc remains fully fit and available for selection for the fifth and final Test of the ongoing series.

Starc felt some discomfort in his back while bowling the 21st over of India's first innings in the Boxing Day Test. However, the left-arm pacer resumed bowling at speeds in the high 130s after a rain delay. He had a tough outing in the first innings, going wicketless with figures of 0-86 from 25 overs.

Mitchell Starc's Pace Didn’t Drop Off - Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins provided an update on Mitchell Starc's fitness ahead of the fifth Test match. Cummins said Starc is managing some soreness, particularly around his ribs, but remains available for selection. He acknowledged that fast bowlers often feel extra pain when starting a spell while sore.

“I think every fast bowler knows that the first ball of a spell when you are a bit sore, it always hurts a little bit more,” Cummins said.

“I’m pretty confident he’ll be fine. We will reassess in a couple of days. But yeah, he’s managing a couple of sore bits, I think, mainly one saw bit … on his ribs or something."

“But he’s a warrior. He gets through. His pace didn’t drop off. He never even contemplated not being an option to bowl. So other than being in pain, he’s fully fit and available,” he added.

Ahead of India's second innings, Starc stated that he would bowl as many overs as necessary. He dismissed Indian star Virat Kohli during the lunch break. Starc finished the day with impressive figures of 1-25 from 16 overs.

Australia's Alternatives if Mitchell Starc Misses Upcoming New Year's Test

If Mitchell Starc is unavailable, Australia has alternatives in Jhye Richardson or Sean Abbott. Beau Webster could also come into consideration if there’s a change with Mitchell Marsh.

Abbott was called up to the squad for the Boxing Day Test alongside Richardson, who made his return after a long injury break. Richardson has played three Tests and taken 11 wickets.

While Abbott has yet to debut in Test cricket, he has solid limited-overs stats with 29 wickets in 26 ODIs and 26 wickets in 20 T20Is, in addition to 61 first-class wickets in 87 matches. Meanwhile, Josh Hazlewood was ruled out for the remainder of the series due to a calf injury.

Final Test Between India and Australia Set to Start on January 3

Australia secured an 184-run victory over India in the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday, December 30. Chasing 340 for victory on Day 5, the Rohit Sharma-led team was dismissed for 155 in their second innings, giving Australia a 2-1 lead in the series.

India had previously won the series opener in Perth by 295 runs but lost the second Test in Adelaide by 10 wickets. The rain-affected Brisbane Test ended in a draw. With the 2-1 lead, Australia now aims to win the final Test in Sydney, starting on January 3, to secure the BGT for the first time in the decade.

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