Ricky Ponting Namedrops Sachin Tendulkar, Recalls Moment When He Found Out Mitchell Starc Was Special Bowler

Ricky Ponting namedropped Sachin Tendulkar while talking about Mitchell Starc. Photo: AP/BCCI

Mitchell Starc etched his name in history books and became the only Australian pacer after Glenn McGrath to play 100 Test matches when he took the field against West Indies in the pink-ball Test match in Kingston. The left-arm pacer had a memorable outing in the fixture and he took a six-fer as WI folded for 27 in the chase to the target of 204. Starc was adjudged Player of the Match for his spell.

Australia legend Ricky Ponting, who was a senior member of the team on Starc's Test debut, reflected on his career. The ICC Hall of Famer namedropped Sachin Tendulkar as he revealed the moment when he found out that Starc was a special bowler.

"I remember, he was bowling a spell to Sachin Tendulkar and was able to sort of bowl a short one, get up under Sachin's armpit and Sachin just sort of knocked one into short leg on the leg side," Ponting told ICC.

"And when you could see that sort of pace and bounce and have someone like Sachin not be able to cope with it, I think that was the reassurance for all of us that there was probably something extra special there for Mitchell Starc."

Starc scalped 4 wickets in the Perth Test in 2012. He trapped Sachin in front of the stumps in India's second innings. India failed to win a Test on that tour and lost the series 0-4.

Starc and Sachin again shared the field in 2013, when Australia toured India for a four-match Test series. The Master Blaster retired from international cricket in November 2013.

Starc has been a regular in the Australian team since his debut and he has been one of the spearheads of their pace attack for many years. The left-arm pacer has 402 wickets in Tests, 244 wickets in ODIs and 79 wickets in T20Is.

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