How Can Rohit Sharma & Co Tackle Mitchell Starc? India Great Has A Clear Advice

Mitchell Starc has been a shining beacon of hope for Australia in the ongoing ODI series against India as the hosts have found it difficult to tackle the talented pacer. In the second ODI encounter, he was the top performer for Australia once again as he took five wickets to hand the visitors a much-needed victory. While most India batters have been unable to find the right way to tackle his pace and movement, India legend Sunil Gavaskar had a piece of advice for Rohit Sharma and Co.

"Give the man respect. He has been moving the ball both ways. He has destroyed the Indian top-order. So give him those three-four overs, play him quietly. Be patient, nudge it around, look to score at the other end. When a man is bowling so well and he has not even bowled a no-ball. A fast bowler bowling that occasional no-ball while striving for that extra pace is understandable but he hasn't even done that so give him respect when he is on song, play him out and score from others," Gavaskar said in the mid-innings show on Star Sports during the third ODI in Chennai.

Three wickets apiece from Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Vadav left India in need of 270 to win against Australia during Wednesday's series-deciding third and final one day international in Chennai.

Australia were bowled out for 269 in the 49th over after Pandya (3-44) and left-arm spinner Yadav (3-56) put a brake on the tourists' early momentum.

In-form openers Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh had by the eighth over made 10 boundaries between them, including three sixes, and looked set for a commanding partnership after Australia elected to bat first.

But Pandya took three quick wickets -- Head on 33, Smith for a duck and Marsh on 47 -- to leave Australia worried at 85-3 by the 15th over. 

Yadav toppled the middle-order beginning with David Warner, who made 23 on return from the elbow fracture that forced him out of the second Test in February.

Marnus Labuschagne (28) was next but Alex Carey stubbornly held on for another 10 overs before his departure on 38.

Fellow left-arm spinner Axar Patel and frontline pacer Mohammed Siraj each took two wickets apiece as Sean Abbott (26), Ashton Agar (17) and Mitchell Starc (10) stretched out the remainder of the innings.

(With AFP inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Sunil Gavaskar Mitchell Starc Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Cricket