Aussie hero Mitchell Starc hailed for classy act immediately after destroying West Indies

7NEWS

18 hours ago

Australian hero Mitchell Starc is being hailed for a classy act immediately after obliterating the West Indies with one of the greatest bowling performances ever seen in Test cricket.
On a historic afternoon in Jamaica, Australia's quicks ran riot to wrap up a 176-run win and claim a 3-0 series sweep in the fight for the Frank Worrell Trophy.
Scott Boland became only the 10th Australian to claim a Test hat-trick, but was remarkably not the headline act after Starc ripped the heart out of the hosts with figures of 6-9.
The left-armer took three wickets in the first over of West Indies' second innings and claimed five in his first 15 balls to at one stage have them 5-7.
Playing in his 100th Test, Starc also became the fourth Australian to reach the 400-wicket milestone, joining greats Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Nathan Lyon.
Starc was named player of the series for his 15 wickets at 14.80.
But instead of joining teammates in the rooms for celebrations after the post-match presentations, Starc spent 15 minutes talking about the art of fast bowling to West Indies quick Johann Layne.
Prominent cricket commentator Bharat Sundaresan spotted the exchange.
'What a champion, Mitch Starc. 100th Test, 3 wickets in an over, 400th wicket & then he spends 15 minutes chatting with young West Indian quick Johann Layne about fast bowling before finally going back to the rooms, where the rest of the Aussie team wait for him,' he wrote.
Fans immediately hailed Starc for the classy gesture.
'What an absolute bloke! I hope he stays around for 3-4 more years,' one said.
'Sportsmanship at its finest right here. Love to see it,' another said.
'Legend - and pure cricketer. Doesn't get caught up in all the outside social media nonsense,' another added.
Speaking to reporters on-field after the match, Starc was asked what his highlight of the day was.
'It will come when Alex (Carey) decides to sing the team song,' he responded.
Captain Pat Cummins hailed the 'bonkers' performance.
'A three-wicket maiden in the first over of a Test innings is just bonkers,' he said.
'He was on fire. A lot of the chat leading into this week is how resilient you need to be and professional to play 100 Tests.
'But I think that's the Starcy I always remember playing alongside. He can tear a game open by himself in the matter of a couple of overs.'
Starc's 15-ball five-wicket haul marked the fastest by any bowler in Test history, eclipsing the previous record of 19 from Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad and Boland.
The 35-year-old also became the second man to take three wickets in the opening over of a Test innings, striking when he had John Campbell caught behind first ball.
He then trapped Kevlon Anderson when the right-hander left a ball that tailed in at him, before bowling Brandon King with the last delivery of the over.
Starc's assault continued with his 400th and 401st Test scalps at the start of his third over, both Mikyle Louis and Shai Hope gone lbw.
At that point, Starc had figures of 5-2, with the only runs off him coming via the outside edge of Hope's bat and through the slips.
Starc could have had a sixth victim in his opening five-over spell before tea, had Sam Konstas not grassed a chance at third slip to remove Alzarri Joseph.
But that opened the door for Boland to take Australia's first Test hat-trick since Peter Siddle in 2010.
Called in for Lyon, the Victorian edged off Justin Greaves, had Shamar Joseph lbw and bowled Jomel Warrican in consecutive balls.
'I was a bit nervous bowling that last ball,' Boland admitted.
'It's an amazing feeling. Starcy set us up there, and I have never been involved in a game where we bowled a team out for 27.'
MITCHELL STARC'S SPELL OF DESTRUCTION IN KINGSTON
0.1 - Starts his haul immediately when he swings the ball away from left-hander John Campbell and has him caught behind by Josh Inglis, with Alex Carey off the field concussed.
0.2 - Sends a ball wide down legside to right-hander Kevlon Anderson.
0.3 - Angles one across the right-hander Anderson's body, going straight on past the off stump.
0.4 - Another straight one, this time delivered in at Anderson's middle stump. It's defended.
0.5 - Swings a full ball back in at Anderson, who attempts to leave and is hit on the pad. Anderson bizarrely reviews the lbw decision, but ball-tracking shows it hit him on off and is striking middle stump a third of the way up.
0.6 - Moves it marginally back into right-hander Brandon King, taking his inside edge before the ball rattles into the stumps. Starc becomes only second bowler in history to take three wickets in the first over of Test innings.
2.1 - After his second over was a maiden, Starc takes his 400th wicket when he swings a ball back into the back pad of Mikyle Louis. The left-armer raises the ball aloft, joining Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Nathan Lyon as Australians with 400-plus wickets.
2.2 - Starc finally concedes a run, with Shai Hope edging a ball that falls just short of Josh Inglis and goes for two.
2.3 - Hope is out next ball, when Starc cannons a ball into his front pad with the left-hander caught on the crease. Hope reviews, but ball-tracking shows it taking out his off stump. Starc's five-wicket haul is complete inside 15 balls.
3.5 - Misses out on a sixth scalp when he angles a ball across the body of Alzarri Joseph, gets the right-hander's edge and it flies to the right of Sam Konstas at third slip. Konstas sticks out his hand, but is unable to hold onto it.
4.6 - Starc's spell is interrupted by the tea break, but he has already ripped the heart out of West Indies and all but ensured they will not chase down 204 for victory.
5.2 - Unlucky not to have another one in the first over after tea, when Joesph fends a ball to the legside and it falls just short of Travis Head at short leg.
6.4 - Konstas denies Starc a sixth wicket again, when Joseph edges to third slip for a second time and the teenager puts down an easier chance.
7.3 - After Scott Boland claimed a hat-trick at the other end, Starc finishes off the Test, and series, by a swinging a ball back into left-hander Jayden Seales and clean bowling him. Starc ends with career-best figures of 6-9 and West Indies are all out for 27 in 14.3 overs.