Prolific Starc has Johnson in his sights

Electric spearhead Mitchell Starc may have flown under the radar in the Magellan Ashes series but the left-armer has terrorised England’s tailenders with a performance that is on track to repeat Mitchell Johnson’s remarkable feat four years ago.

After five innings this Ashes series, Starc has 18 wickets at 19.77 and has taken a wicket every 36 deliveries. At the same stage in the 2013-14 series, Johnson had 19 wickets at 14.63 and a strike rate of 32.1.

Johnson finished that series four years ago with 37 wickets and player-of-the-series honours, and should Starc continue his prolific wicket-taking form there’s every chance he could match his southpaw mentor.

Starc’s ability to strike with the new ball and mop up the tail has been a major factor in causing multiple England collapses and Australia winning the first two Tests of the summer.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting says he can’t remember many quicks more potent against the tail than Starc, a bowler he rates as one of the finest on the planet.

"He’s an out-and-out wicket-taker," Ponting told cricket.com.au.

"You know he’s going to bowl a few full tosses and he’s going to get his bouncer wrong every now and then.

"But when he gets it right he just takes wickets.

"It’s been great to watch his development over the past four or five years. He burst onto the scene as someone who could do real damage with the white ball and there was always a bit of a worry how he could transfer that into the red-ball game.

"He’s turned into one of the best in the world.

"For a captain, it’s nice to have that wicket-taking option up your sleeve.

"And then you’ve got guys like (fellow Australia quicks Josh) Hazlewood and (Pat) Cummins bowling as well and as consistently as they are, to have Starcy there to keep fresh and as an impact bowler must be a great thrill for Steve Smith."

Like a great white shark when there’s blood in the water, Starc whips into a frenzy when he can see a tailender at the crease.

On day two in Perth, Starc uprooted the middle stump of century-maker Jonny Bairstow and rushed Stuart Broad into a panicked pull shot to play his part in a collapse of 6-35 by the tourists.

Today’s capitulation, from 5-368 to 10-403, is the fourth time England have lost wickets in a clump this series, following collapses of 4-24, 5-40 in Brisbane and 7-64 to lose the second Test in Adelaide.

England re-jigged their batting order from Adelaide, promoting Bairstow to No.6 and dropping Moeen Ali one spot further back.

While the move worked wonders for Bairstow, who brought up his maiden Ashes century, Moeen’s demotion lasted two balls when he was bounced out by Cummins from around the wicket.

Ponting says Australia’s trio of tearaway pacemen have got the measure of England’s tail and can’t see the damage ceasing anytime soon.

"It’s concerning for them but I think they have to expect that as well," Ponting said of England’s batting collapses.

"The one they would be concerned today would be Moeen Ali. He should’ve known that’s how Cummins and these guys were going to bowl back of a length in Perth and there was just no urgency about his shot.

"His feet were lazy and slow, he just held the bat there, didn’t have any real intensity in the way he played that delivery.

"But the tail, our quicks are going to knock the tail over more often than not.

"That’s where it puts the onus back on the batsmen more to make sure they’ve scored most of the runs and don’t rely on the tail.

"It’s happened a few times now and it will keep happening through the series because, frankly, our quicks are just too good for their tailenders."

Ponting says there is no quick fix to stop contagious collapsing.

"Simply, the tailenders just aren’t good enough," he said.

"We saw (fast bowler Craig) Overton stand up a little bit in Adelaide and I actually think that’s what the major reason he’s been picked ahead of (quick Jake) Ball from Brisbane, is that he does give a bit more late-order stability.

"I don’t think there’s anything they can work on.

"The tailenders are going to know – Broad, (James) Anderson – that they’re going to get it short and quick and up around their ears for most of the time they’re out there.

"I don’t think they’re good enough to cope with it."

While he was critical of Moeen’s dismissal in Perth, Ponting is more concerned about his impact with the ball this summer.

In five innings this series, the off-spinner has taken just two wickets at an average of 106.5, and should that barren run continue, the tourists might be forced to make a change, according to Ponting.

"They need a spinner to be able to stand up like Nathan Lyon’s done and have an impact on the series,” he said.

"So far Moeen hasn’t been able to do that with the ball.

"He had a 40, a 38 and a 25 (with the bat) coming into this game and he got knocked over second ball today, so if he doesn’t get wickets in this game then I think they’ll seriously look at his spot for the ongoing Test matches."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), 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 WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

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

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