Australia vs India 2018-19, Mitchell Starc, Shane Warne
Mitchell Starc. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Mitchell Starc, the Australian fast bowler, has admitted that he let the external voices affect him when India last toured Down Under in 2018-19.

The Indian cricket team led by Virat Kohli scripted history during their last trip to Australia after they became the first Asian team to notch up a Test series [2-1] Down Under. And, while the Indian pacers outbowled their famed Aussie counterparts, it was really the defiant Cheteshwar Pujara ground the Starc-led attack into the dust with patience.

Starc was criticized for his performances throughout the series where he managed just 13 wickets, and the fast bowler admitted that the outsider’s views really got to him, something he couldn’t care less about as India embark on yet another tour.

I think I let the noise get to me, to be perfectly honest, which is a big reason why I don’t pay attention to anything now,” Mitchell Starc was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“By the end of that summer I was just running in and trying to bowl as fast as I could, just to focus on one thing. It worked out for the last Test of that summer.” he added.

“The noise just got to me and (so did) people who really didn’t have any part of the team, (who voiced) opinions which they’re entitled to, (but) now I just couldn’t care less what people say,” said Starc. “I just don’t need to listen to that stuff anymore. I don’t read it and I’m a happier person for it. As long as I have people around me who I trust talking to, and (in) the changeroom as well … that positive reinforcement is there no matter what.” Mitchell Starc said.

 

Mitchell Starc on the changes he has made to his bowling post the 2019 Ashes

Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc Courtesy: Getty

Mitchell Starc also revealed that he had made a technical change to his bowling in the Sheffield Shield season last year after he struggled to maintain the balance between pace and accuracy during the Ashes in England.

”It’s something I changed in between Shield games last year. A big part of it was around the philosophy we had in England (during the Ashes) about controlling the scoreboard and having a really tight pitch map,” said Starc.

“For me, being stuck in controlling that and still trying to bowl really fast, that’s something I didn’t quite have a huge control of coming out of England. “It was either trying to bowl really tight or bowl really fast. Those little changes help me do both easier and with smaller margins of error. That was the basis of the change – still being able to bowl pretty fast and have better control of where I put the ball.” he added.

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