Why Mitchell Starc not playing today: The Australian speedster will be missing the second T20I at the R Premdasa Stadium tonight.
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A 10-wicket victory was an ideal way for Australia to kick-start a tour of Sri Lanka after six years. Captain Aaron Finch’s decision of bowling first after winning the toss was followed by the visitors making all the right decisions to even defeat multiple rain delays.
New-ball bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood excelled, in particular, to sow seeds of a clinical victory at the R Premdasa Stadium last night.
While Starc’s bowling figures of 4-0-26-3 comprised of dismissals of Pathum Nissanka (36), Wanindu Hasaranga (17) and Dushmantha Chameera (1), Hazlewood went on to better his new-ball partner as his bowling figures of 4-0-16-4 ran through the Sri Lankan middle-order dismissing Danushka Gunathilaka (26), Kusal Mendis (1), Bhanuka Rajapaksa (0) and Dasun Shanaka (0) making him win his fourth T20I match award.
Much like Starc and Hazlewood, Australia’s opening batters in Finch (61*) and David Warner (70*) also stood out on the back of an unbeaten match-winning 134-run partnership in 14 overs.
Why Mitchell Starc not playing today’s 2nd T20I between Sri Lanka and Australia?
On a night when almost everything fell into place for the world champions, a lone negative aspect was Starc sustaining a strange injury to his bowling hand.
It all happened in the first over of the match when the left-arm bowler slit the index finger of his left hand with his shoe spike. Starc was allowed to tape his finger and complete the rest of his spell. However, the 32-year old bowler will have to sit out of the second T20I at the same venue tonight.
“It was a strange one. Once his left leg came back through, he clipped it on the spike, so he’s got a little cut on his bowling finger,” Hazlewood told cricket.com.au.
“He was allowed to strap it tonight being an external blow in this game [but] can’t strap it [Wednesday] night so that might cause a few problems.”
Second-highest wicket-taker in Colombo T20Is, Starc’s absence is highly likely to be felt by Australia on Wednesday. With pacer Sean Abbott also ruled out of the series, Australia are almost certain of including one out of Jhye Richardson or Mitchell Swepson for tonight’s match.
