"Fully fit and available": Pat Cummins on Mitchell Starc's injury after winning Melbourne Test

Dec 30, 2024

Melbourne [Australia], December 30 : After winning the Boxing-Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) against India, Australia skipper Pat Cummins provided an update on left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc's injury on Monday.
Australia clinched a 184-run victory over India at the Melbourne Test and took a 2-1 lead in the series. With this loss, India's chances of -qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord's fade away.
"I'm pretty confident he ( Starc) will be fine. We will reassess it in a couple of days as he's managing a couple of sore bits. Mainly one sore bit on his ribs or something, but he's a warrior. He gets through it, his pace didn't drop off, he never even contemplates not being an option to bowl, so other than being in pain, he's fully fit and available," Cummins said in the post-match press conference as quoted by the ICC.
Further, the 31-year-old opened up and spoke about Travis Head's celebration after dismissing the wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant on the fifth day of the Melbourne Test.
"I can explain that. It's his fingers so hot, he's got to put in a cup of ice. That's normally the running joke. Maybe it was the Gabriel summary that got a wicket as well and just went straight to the fridge, grabbed a bucket of ice, put his finger in just walked in front of Lionel, just like that. He thinks it's very funny," the right-arm seamer added.
Australia gave a target of 340 runs to India at the start of Day 05 of the Melbourne Test. The visitors had the whole day in hand but couldn't make the best out of it. The fiery spells from the Aussie bowling attack bundled out India at 155 in the 80th over.
Pat Cummins was named the 'Player of the Match' following a stupendous performance with both bat and ball.