Australia lower-order a tail of two Mitches

Mitchell Starc is becoming Australia’s next great lower-order batsman at a rate faster than the thunderbolts he delivers off his long run.

Not since Mitchell Johnson in his prime has Australia had a damaging hitter in the tail that can change the outcome of a game with vital runs like Starc can.

His quick-fire first-innings 61 from 63 balls late on day one in Pune lifted Australia to a respectable total of 260 and wrestled back the momentum off the hosts who had dominated the opening day of the four-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

The 27-year-old played a cameo in the second innings too, swatting a 31-ball 30 with three sixes, mirroring the trio of maximums in his first knock, to boost Australia’s lead to an unreachable 440 and set up a 333-run win.

Only two Tests ago the long-limbed left-hander hit an MCG-record seven sixes during the Boxing Day Test to set up a remarkable series-sealing innings-victory over Pakistan.

Johnson was at his peak with the blade during the 2009 tour of South Africa, where in three Tests he crashed 123no from 103 balls after he came within one shot of reaching triple-figures two matches earlier, left-stranded on 96.

Now Starc is rapidly becoming as fearsome as Johnson, whether he’s got bat or ball in hand, and it doesn’t sound like’s planning on slowing down any time soon.

Image Id: 1707D6C0A49847F0B786140613F62B36 Image Caption: Johnson celebrates his maiden Test ton in 2009 // Getty

“I’m just going to stick to my game plans,” Starc told reporters on Tuesday.

“Probably something I worked at the last series and the lead up to this one was keeping similar plans.

“I’m a bit taller and have a bit more reach so those little rough areas in front of me don’t worry me as much as the shorter guys.

“I’m just going to keep playing the way I play and the skipper and coach back my decisions out there and that’s to look to score runs and not get too tied down and play with a bit of freedom.

“I enjoy my batting and I’ll keep trying to hit a few over the rope.”

Quick Single: The ball Starc meant to bowl to Kohli

The left-hander is the second fastest to Australian lower-order batsman (positions 8-11) to 1,000 Test runs, achieving the feat in 52 innings, two more knocks than close friend and record-holder Johnson.

Starc joins Shane Warne (3,008 runs), Johnson (1,958), Brett Lee (1,415), Ray Lindwall (1,103), Peter Siddle (1,039) and Bill Oldfield (1,003) as the only Australian lower-order batsmen with 1,000 runs batting in the tail.

In the past four years, including Australia’s last trip to India in 2013 where Starc scored a career-high 99, only England’s Stuart Broad has scored more runs from No.8 or lower.

Quick Single: Starc brings local nous to Bengalaru

However, Broad’s 1,079 runs have come in 74 innings at an average of 16.85 while Starc’s 858 runs have come in 53 innings at 24.51.

It’s why Starc now sits behind India rivals Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan as the fourth-best Test allrounder, according to the International Cricket Council player ratings.

Johnson v Starc with the bat after 35 matches

Johnson | Innings: 47 | Runs: 957 | Average: 24.54 HS: 123no | 100s: 1 | 50s: 4

Starc | Innings: 53 | Runs: 1,040 | Average: 25.36 HS: 99 | 100s: 0 | 50s: 9

Test Squads

India (for first two Tests): Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund, Hardik Pandya.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade

Australia's schedule in India

Feb 23-27, First Test, Pune

Mar 4-8, Second Test, Bengaluru

Mar 16-20, Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29, Fourth Test, Dharamsala