Sachin Tendulkar dragged in as Ricky Ponting reveals shocking moment he saw Mitchell Starc’s future

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting recalled an early spell from Mitchell Starc to Sachin Tendulkar that had him earmarked for greatness. The legendary batter also said that Starc had shown signs of something special during that spell, managing to trouble the 'Master Blaster' with pace and bounce.

Mitchell Starc etched his name into the history books by becoming only the second Australian fast bowler after Glenn McGrath to play 100 Test matches. Starc delivered a stunning performance in his 100th Test match, securing a five-wicket haul in the fourth innings to bowl out the West Indies for just 27 runs.

Sachin Tendulkar Couldn't Handle It - Ricky Ponting Recalls Mitchell Starc's Spell

During an episode of the ICC Review, Ricky Ponting recalled Starc’s fiery spell to Sachin Tendulkar during the 2012 Perth Test at the WACA. It was only Starc’s third Test and his first against India.

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Ponting said that watching Tendulkar struggle against Starc’s bowling confirmed that the young left-armer had something truly special.

“I remember, he was bowling a spell to Sachin Tendulkar and was able to sort of bowl a short one, get up under Sachin’s armpit and Sachin just sort of knocked one into short leg on the leg side,” said Ponting.

“And when you could see that sort of pace and bounce and have someone like Sachin not be able to cope with it, I think that was the reassurance for all of us that there was probably something extra special there for Mitchell Starc,” he added.

Mitchell Starc Understands His Game Better Than Ever - Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting said that Starc has evolved mentally and technically, especially in the last couple of years. He added that the left-armer has added variations to his arsenal, including the three-quarter seam or wobble seam delivery.

“Skill-wise and mentally, I think he understands his body, understands his game probably better than ever, especially the last couple of years,” Ponting noted.

“He’s added a couple of different skills maybe the last two or three years that don’t seem like massive things, but he’s sort of incorporated that three-quarters seam, that wobble seam delivery that’s just made his in-swing of that little bit more potent as well and has given him a little bit more variation.”

Mitchell Starc Became the Fastest Bowler in Test History to Take a Five-Wicket Haul

Mitchell Starc became the fastest bowler in Test history to claim a five-wicket haul in terms of balls bowled. He completed the feat in just 15 deliveries, breaking the previous record of 19 balls jointly held by Ernie Toshack (v India, 1947), Stuart Broad (v Australia, 2015), and Scott Boland (v England, 2021).

It came during Starc’s 100th Test, where he also joined an elite group of Australians to reach 400 Test wickets, alongside Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, and Nathan Lyon. Starc is just 13 wickets away from surpassing Pakistan great Wasim Akram on the all-time wicket-takers list in the longer format.

The 35-year-old is expected to play a crucial role in Australia’s upcoming home Ashes series against England later this year, with his experience and recent form.

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