ADELAIDE: The morning after hobbling through for the winning runs in an historic three-wicket win over New Zealand in the first day-night cricket Test, injured Mitchell Starc was already wondering when he'd be able to bowl again for Australia.
Starc, the form bowler for Australia in 2015 and the pace spearhead after Mitchell Johnson retired during the 2-0 series win over New Zealand, sustained a stress fracture in his right foot on Friday and wasn't able to bowl or field for the remainder of the Adelaide Test.
The left-arm paceman will miss the three-Test series against the West Indies starting Dec. 10 in Hobart, but was hopeful of being fit enough to play in the return two-Test series in New Zealand in February.
“There's no point putting a time stamp on it until the bone heals,” Starc, who arrived at a news conference on crutches, said Monday.
Starc played two important cameos while batting last, clobbering an unbeaten 24 - including two sixes and two boundaries in one over - to help Australia take a 22-run first-innings lead, and then joining fellow tail-ender Peter Siddle at the end of the match Sunday night when all the recognized batsmen were dismissed chasing a victory target of 187.
He said he was surprised to be told he was going in to bat ahead of Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood.
He limped on the field and backed up patiently as Siddle whittled down the runs required, half skipping, half running through for the last two runs required.
Starc was using a “moon boot” to take pressure off his foot.
He also has a long-term ankle injury that will eventually need surgery, but has been delaying that because the recovery will keep him on the sidelines for months.
“I'll be in this (moon) boot for I think three or four weeks, depending on how it's going, and probably reassess then,” he said.
“The foot won't rule me out for rest of summer so there's no point doubling up and missing extra time with surgery.
“The ankle is going pretty well. I'm not too worried about how that's going to be when my foot heals.” .
Australia's pace bowling stocks will be tested in Starc's absence, particularly after the retirements in recent months of veterans Ryan Harris and Johnson.
James Pattinson just missed out on selection for the Adelaide Test when Siddle was preferred as the replacement for Johnson.
Josh Hazlewood took a career-best 6-70 in the second innings, and nine wickets for the match, to lead the attack after Starc was injured.
