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[Saba Sports News] Mitchell Starc, despite not being at his best as a bowler in this World Cup, entered the post-match press conference with a smile, celebrating Australia’s victory over South Africa. He recognized his own shortcomings in the tournament but applauded his teammate Josh Hazlewood and others for their overall performance.
“Our powerplay was key,” Starc remarked, acknowledging the importance of early wickets. He also praised Travis Head and David Warner for their fielding and batting contributions.
Regarding the pitch conditions, Starc noted the consistent bounce but acknowledged some challenges for batsmen due to lateral movement and swing. He particularly lauded Hazlewood’s precision and consistency in bowling, which proved crucial in building pressure and restricting South Africa’s scoring.
Starc then discussed batting in the first ten overs, highlighting the aggressive approach by Head and Warner, which eased pressure on the rest of the team. He observed that this strategy helped counter the effective South African bowling, especially their spinners, later in the innings.
Regarding the upcoming final against India, Starc was realistic, recognizing the challenge of facing the unbeaten team in the tournament.
He expressed confidence, however, in both teams’ familiarity with high-pressure matches, anticipating a loud and passionate atmosphere for what he expects to be a memorable World Cup final.
“That’s why we play the game, we take on the best, they’ve been the best in the tournament so far, and that’s why we find oursleves in the final. That’s what World Cups are about. It’s a big occasion, a World Cup final. Both teams played each other in the Test final earlier this year, soI don’t think either change room is new to big occasions. It’s going to be loud and passionate, and it’s just going to be a great spectacle and everyone in our changeroom look forward to the occasion.”