Quantcast

'I let the noise get to me': Starc vows to tune out India hype

Australia's spearhead reflects on a disappointing Test series in 2018-19 as he eyes a Blues return and some fine-tuning of technical tweaks

Mitchell Starc admits criticism of his performances against India two summers ago got on his nerves but ahead of this summer's rematch the Aussie spearhead insists he now "couldn't care less" about the opinions of pundits or keyboard warriors.

Starc will play his first red-ball game in 10 months at the serene Karen Rolton Oval in the parkland fringes of Adelaide's city centre from Friday, a world removed from the "noise" the paceman has vowed to tune out this summer.

The 30-year-old will feature in NSW's next two Marsh Sheffield Shield games, making him the only fast bowler likely to play the first Border-Gavaskar Test that will get an extended first-class lead-in to the hotly-awaited series.

Starc took 13 wickets at 35 against India in the home summer of 2018-19, and as Australia surrendered a Test series to India on home soil for the first time, the left-armer came under fire for not only his bowling returns, but his on-field demeanour as well.

Starc reveals who he'd quarantine with, and who he wouldn't

Shane Warne was the most vocal critic, labelling Starc's new-ball bowling in Australia's series-opening defeat in Adelaide "atrocious" before calling for him to be dropped for the ensuing series against Sri Lanka.

Starc's returns at home since are difficult to argue with; he's taken 41 wickets at 17 in seven Tests, including 10 in the second Test against Sri Lanka later in that 2018-19 summer.

"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," Starc told cricket.com.au of that historic series defeat.

"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.

"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.

"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."

Starc might have deleted his Twitter account and vowed not to read his own press, but he has not blocked out absolutely everyone.

NSW bowling coach Andre Adams continues to be a major influence and the pair have been working closely together in the nets since Starc joined the Blues squad in Adelaide last week, after spending time with wife Alyssa Healy during the Australian women's series in Brisbane.

Starc changed a crucial element of his bowling action in the lead-in to last summer's Pakistan Test series and Adams, the former New Zealand allrounder, has helped him adjust to the noticeable shift that sees him keep his left arm in tighter to his body during his load-up.

Starc keen for pink-ball contest against India

The 30-year-old had found himself during last year's Ashes in the United Kingdom, where he played just the solitary Test, forced to pick between accuracy and control.

Now he hopes he can have both.

"In a way it was surprising how quickly it felt normal," Starc said of his technical changes. "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.

"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."

Starc will join close friend Nathan Lyon in the Blues XI to face Queensland from Friday, but their state and Test teammates Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins remain in the UAE for the Indian Premier League.

Incumbent Test quick James Pattinson, as well as all five of the Indian pacemen picked in their Test squad to tour Australia, are also there and bowling a maximum of four overs per game.

Starc, who forwent IPL riches to spend more time with wife Healy, is unsure whether his extra first-class preparation will prove an advantage over the other pacemen.

"Time will tell I guess," he said. "Cricket is still cricket, but certainly my favourite form of the game is Test cricket and I want to play as much Test cricket as I can.

"To have a couple of Shield games now, to just focus on that and continue to reinforce some of the little changes I've made over the last couple of months, it's a good chance to make that happen against some good domestic players.

"The wickets have been quite flat here so it's just a chance to hone those skills on wickets that aren't offering too much.

"You can look at it either way – the guys over in the IPL are over there playing an extremely high level of cricket, but … I get to hone my skills with the red ball."