Ashes 2023: Australia missing Mitchell Starc with both bat and ball in 1st Test, says Nasser Hussain

Former England captain Nasser Hussain reckons Australia is missing the services of Mitchell Starc with both bat and ball in the first Ashes Test against England. Australia preferred Scott Boland and returning Josh Hazlewood ahead of Starc for the opening Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

While Boland was excellent for Australia in the World Test Championship final against India, picking up five wickets, Hazlewood made a return to Test cricket after recovering from injury. Hazlewood took three wickets in the first Ashes Test whereas Boland could pick two wickets in the entire match.

Starc is well known to clean up the tail with his accurate yorkers and he can also provide crucial runs while batting down the order.

Starc has played 18 Ashes Tests in his career and has scalped 74 wickets at an average of 27.46. The left-arm batter has also scored 517 runs against England at an average of 25.85.

Meanwhile, Ollie Pope and Stuart Broad scored 27 and 10 respectively whereas James Anderson scored an unbeaten knock of 12 runs on Day four. Ergo, England was able to set up a target of 281 runs after they scored 273 in the second essay.

Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports, “The one person they are missing, both with bat and ball, is Mitchell Starc. Those 60 runs England’s last three put on yesterday – if you go back to previous Ashes battles, who has been blowing away England’s tail? Starc.”

“Then also with the bat, he scores some useful runs. That could be a big blow,” said Hussain.

Meanwhile, Starc had scalped four wickets in the WTC Final against India at the Kennington Oval, London.

On the other hand, at Tea on the final day, Australia need 98 runs whereas England require another five wickets for the win. Usman Khawaja is batting unbeaten on 56 while Cameron Green is on 22.