On the third day of the Boxing Day Test between India and Australiaa funny thing happened. ex Team India cricketer Irfan Pathan joked Mitchell Starc for trying to get out on bail.
Starc is caught spinning the bails
Starc was trying to improve his luck by doing the ritual of 'flipping bails'. This involves returning guarantees in the hope of turning the tide in their favor. Many players have tried this ritual and Starc thought it was worth a try too.
It was a routine popularized by former England pacer Stuart Broad during the Ashes, and has since been caught by other players including India's Mohammed Siraj and Australia's Marnus Labuschagne. Starc had been wicketless in the game. So, he tried to do the bail-out ritual to turn his fortunes around.
Pathan noticed Starc's effort and couldn't resist making a mildly humorous comment about the otherwise serious competition. Pathan joked, “Despite Australia being in this position, if you have to bail out and then Mitchell Starc he's thinking about himself because he doesn't have a wicket.” The remark drew attention on social media, especially as Starc was returning the bails and brought a comical twist to the match.
Watch: Nitish Kumar Reddy celebrates first Test fifty with iconic 'Pushpa' celebration at MCG
Starc's gesture pays off
Starc's superstitious act seemed to pay off as just one over later, Nathan Lyon bowled a brilliant delivery that was trapped Ravindra Jadeja in front of the logs. Jadeja, who had been steady for India, was given out LBW after scoring 17 runs off 51 balls.
Although Starc played a role in Jadeja's dismissal, his performance was lacking. The left-arm fast bowler completed 21 overs without taking a single wicket. Afterwards, he appeared to be in pain and consulted the team's physio, which raised questions about his fitness. However, he was a threat for the Indian team throughout the day.
Later in the innings, Reddy almost gave Starc a breakthrough when he hit an aerial shot against Mitchell Marsh. However, Starc could not convert the half-chance into a catch. Reddy converted this chance to score his first Test century and get India out of a dire situation.
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