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Mitchell Johnson Offers to Help Starc Ahead of Perth Test

Written by Vipin Darwade

Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson has offered to help Mitchell Starc rediscover his rhythm ahead of the second Test against India in Perth, where the fast pitch can have the Australian pace spearhead “alive and going”. Starc managed just five wickets in Adeliade, where India emerged victorious by 31 runs. The second Test begins on Friday.

“Everyone operates in a different way and I’ve already sent him a couple of text messages to see if he wants to catch up and have a chat about things because I have worked with him in the past and you get to know people really well,” Johnson said on BBC’s Stumps podcast.

“It just looked like there was something on his mind, something’s not quite clicking. We’ll sit down hopefully before the Perth Test match starts.”

Johnson is hoping that the WACA wicket plays true to its reputation in order to bring the best out of Starc. “It’s probably going to be a pretty quick and bouncy wicket as well. That could really get (Starc) alive and going. All I would say to him is he’s just got to have that belief in himself and get involved in the game and I guess have that presence,” said Johnson.

In the past 12 months, Starc has 29 Test wickets from eight matches at 32.62 apiece.

 

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Vipin Darwade