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Starc beats pain to deliver crucial blow

Australia spearhead recovers from a difficult day at the bowling crease to claim the key wicket of Joe Root, with assistant coach David Saker insisting there are no major injury concerns

Pace ace Mitchell Starc defied cramp and a dip in pace to take the crucial wicket of England captain Joe Root late on day one of the fifth Magellan Ashes Test in Sydney. 

Starc was declared fit to play on match eve having missed the preceding Boxing Day Test with a bruised heel on his right foot he picked up in Perth.

On a humid day in Sydney where the first session was lost to rain, Starc appeared to be in discomfort and his lightning pace, which hovers around the 145kph at his peak, was closer to 130kph.

Day wrap: Late strikes give Aussies the edge

As the prolonged close of play drew nearer, the left-armer needed the aid of the magic pickle juice to keep crippling cramps in his calves from mooing for one last crack at the tourists.

Having sent down 15 wicketless overs, Starc was handed a shiny new ball for the penultimate over of the day and immediately got the Kookaburra ball to swing back into the pads of right-handed England skipper Root. 

Root, on 75 at the start of Starc’s over, played with a full face of the bat to send the first ball straight down the ground for four.

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The second ball also found the boundary but in far less convincing fashion – a hooping yorker was edged between pads and stumps to the fine leg rope.

But the third ball – a 140kph inswinger – struck gold, as Root failed to control a whip to the leg-side to be well caught by a diving Mitchell Marsh at square leg. 

While Marsh was elated with the grab, Starc was more reserved in is celebration, opting for an ear-to-ear smile and multiple high-fives to his jubilant teammates. 

Speaking after play on Optus Sport’s Stumps program, Australia assistant coach David Saker said he wasn’t concerned with Starc’s apparent distress during day one in front of 44,874 fans.

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“He (gave) us the okay that he was going to be fine, obviously there's a little bit of a concern there but the last few overs, his pace ramped up with the new ball so hopefully he's alright,” Saker said. 

“He's got a few problems with his feet but nothing too concerning.”

Starc’s wicket of Root was the first of a double strike late in the day for the Australians.

With what turned out to be the last ball of the day, Starc’s new-ball partner Josh Hazlewood dismissed wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow to rip the day’s ascendency from England and deliver it to the Australian camp.

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At stumps England were 5-233 after Root won the toss and elected to bat.

The England leader scored his fourth half-century of the series to take his career tally to 13 hundreds and 36 fifties, a conversion rate that pales into comparison to his elite rivals.

India captain Virat Kohli has 20 centuries to 15 half-centuries. Steve Smith has 23 hundreds to 22 fifties while New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has reached 100 on 17 occasions and 50 26 times. 

Late double strike a great reward: Marsh

While those numbers do not favour the Englishman, Test No.5 Dawid Malan – who finished the day unbeaten on 55 – said his captain hasn’t mentioned his conversion concerns with his teammates.

“Joe is disappointed when he gets out whether he scores 150 or 50,” Malan said.

“He doesn’t really change whether he gets out for 50 or 100. 

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“I think no matter who you are you want to be scoring hundreds. 

“I think the number of 50s Joe scores in his own mind he would probably be disappointed he doesn’t convert more. 

“But he’s still contributing towards the team and still putting the team in really good positions. 

“It obviously would be ideal from his own personal point of view if he did convert and I’m sure that will come in the coming years.”

Malan impresses again with middle-order fifty

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Australia won by 120 runs (Day-Night). Scorecard

Third Test Australia won by an innings and 41 runs. Scorecard

Fourth Test Match drawn. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Scorecard

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21