Pacers could dominate Day 3 of WI-AUS Test, says Starc as he feels that ‘Enough chances being created’ to call the shots.
Pacers could call the shots on third day in Barbados too.
As Australia attempts to set a large enough run chase to prevent back-to-back losses to the West Indies for the first time since 1999, Mitchell Starc does not see the surface at Kensington Oval performing as well as Lord’s did in the World Test Championship final.
Australia and South Africa traded low first-inning scores in the Lord’s final earlier this month. However, on the third day, when the skies were brighter, batting became much easier. Starc himself first managed to reach a half-century before Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma led South Africa to a historic chase.
Starc believed it was improbable that hitters would suddenly start to dominate the latter stages of this game, even though the number of wickets on the second day in Barbados fell to ten from 14 on the first. On the third day, Travis Head and Beau Webster will resume their lead of 82.
“I think the wicket at Lord’s was very flat when the sun came out,” Starc said. “I certainly found it easy to bat on. This [one], we’ve seen these two days, there’s so much variable [bounce] there. We saw yesterday on day one the ball shoot low and then the next over it jumped up and created a wicket. I think that’ll probably be the same tomorrow. And some good bowling that creates enough chances.
“There was a little bit of a partnership there with Beau and Trav [27 so far] there at the end, so hopefully that can continue in the morning and then push it as far as we can [with] some lower-order runs and then go from there. I think there’s enough chances [being created] as we’ve seen for the last two days, that you’re never quite in and you never know what total is going to be enough.”
“I would love to chase 82,” laughed West Indies coach Daren Sammy when asked what he believed was chaseable. A double hat trick or whatever is given to someone.
It was a humorous scene from a visibly irritated Sammy, who was upset about his team’s catching and questioned the umpiring. They have already missed six shots in the game, five of which have come off Shamar Joseph, after dropping Sam Konstas twice on zero. But Konstas only managed to make five before losing to Joseph for the second time throughout the match.
“Pretty sure they are going to get a nice bollocking. Not too angry, but for sure, it’s an attitude,” Sammy said. “The same way you practice your batting and your bowling, fielding and catching becomes equally important. Catching at slip is a skill. As somebody who fielded there, it’s a skill we constantly have to work on, putting time in it.
“Good teams will make you pay. So far, it’s not been too costly, but this is something that in order for us to improve on the goals that we have for this team, this is going to continue. Our catching efficiency has to go up.”