Aussies eye redemption in Starc's fitting milestone match

There's a certain symmetry with Mitchell Starc, the most prolific bowler in day-night Test cricket, playing his 100th Test with the pink ball in hand.

While Australia have comfortably played the most day-night Tests of any country, Starc's tally of 74 wickets is almost double that of Nathan Lyon (43) who is the next best with the pink ball.

His strike rate (34.8) is the best of any quick to bowl more than 100 pink-ball overs, and while that's not to discount the 321 international wickets he's taken across almost 14 years with the red variety, or the 323 in 192 white-ball internationals, the left-armer has developed a knack of making things happen when he gets the pink one in his hand.

That will again be the case on Saturday at Jamaica's Sabina Park when he becomes just the second Australian fast bowler after Glenn McGrath to notch 100 Test caps, and just the 11th specialist quick overall.

"It's quite funny that I'm playing my 100th in a pink-ball game," he told reporters at Sabina Park two days out from his milestone match.

"Jeez, the session last night, I had to bat, I didn't bowl, but there might be a few things going on at night with the pink Dukes, (which is) a new one for us as a group.

"I think Usman (Khawaja) is the only one who's played with a pink Dukes, and it was an English Dukes, and he said the county game went for a day-and-a-half (with his Glamorgan bowled out for 85 and 88 after Sussex made 327 batting first in 2018).

"It looks a pretty good wicket and it's exciting for everyone to play a pink-ball Test away from home here at Sabina Park.

"The last pink-ball Test against the West Indies didn't go our way, so a chance to redeem ourselves … hopefully a really enjoyable week for everyone."

Australia uses a pink Kookaburra ball for home day-night matches, meaning this week presents the tourists a new challenge with West Indies having switched to English-branded Dukes balls for home Tests more than a decade ago.

Reports from the Australian camp indicate the Dukes pink ball – which has only been used in two previous Test matches – is harder than the Kookaburra version used at home, which would no doubt have Starc licking his lips given how the hard new ball behaved in the first two Tests in Barbados and Grenada.

"There's a bit of swing, bit of nip (and) the ball stayed quite hard," Starc recounted of his observations from Australia's first training hit out in Jamaica on Wednesday.

"They were all brand new balls to start with, so we'll see how they wear.

"But the wicket in particular, looks like the most even covering of grass we've had this series. It's a bit of a lottery to see what the wickets do but at first look, it looks the best of the three."

A testament to the left-armer's longevity has been the consistency he's developed in all conditions, with his record away from home, where he averages 28.76 striking once every 48.1 balls for his 160 wickets, comparative to his average (26.46) and strike rate (47.9) for his 235 scalps on Aussie soil.

"I've always had that air speed so at times that can take the pitch conditions out of the equation," Starc said on Thursday.

"Being left-handed is obviously a different point of angle or perception for the batter.

"It's been enjoyable to play my role in different conditions and still be able to be impactful around the world.

"It doesn't happen every week but over the course of a while, it's been good to play that role.

"I guess it makes me feel old having 99 games under the belt.

"But it's another great place to play.

"The last tour here (to the Caribbean) we finished (in Jamaica) in 2015 and then went on to the Ashes (which will be Australia's next Test series later this year).

"A few of us (have) good memories from that 10 years ago and hopefully another good week … a chance to win another Test match away from home, which is never easy to do."

Qantas Tour of the West Indies

First Test: Australia won by 159 runs

Second Test: Australia won by 133 runs

Third Test: July 12-16, Kingston, Jamaica (4.30am AEST)

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

West Indies Test squad: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales

First T20I: July 20, Kingston, Jamaica (July 21, 11am AEST)

Second T20I: July 22, Kingston, Jamaica (July 23, 11am AEST)

Third T20I: July 25, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 26, 9am AEST)

Fourth T20I: July 26, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 27, 9am AEST)

Fifth T20I: July 28, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 29, 9am AEST)

West Indies T20 squad: TBC

Australia's T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa