‘Still, a good chance’, Starc hopeful of returning

‘Still, a good chance’, Starc hopeful of returning Australia pacer Mitchell Starc believes he has “still a good chance” to feature in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series despite not being as close to full fitness as he would like. Starc missed the series opener with a finger injury, which he picked up while fielding against South Africa last December. Captain Pat Cummins and Scott Boland were Australia’s only fast bowlers in Nagpur, as all-rounder Cameron Green missed out, who is also nursing his broken finger. The pacer did not travel with the team to Nagpur and instead remained in Sydney to do four bowling sessions at home. He arrived in India on Saturday, and joined up with his teammates in Delhi on Tuesday night ahead of the second Test. “I’d like to be a little further down the road. Still, a good chance so it’ll come down to how it reacts by the end of (Wednesday), how the medical staff see it, how the selectors and Pat (Cummins) and Ronnie (coach Andrew McDonald) feel about it as well,” Starc told reporters in the national capital. “I’ll do everything I can to be fully available for selection, then it’s a discussion for the rest of the group involved. I don’t think (batting will be an issue) so it’s going to be uncomfortable but I don’t think it’s an issue.” I think I’ll still field with a cap on (the finger), that’s what I did in Melbourne. I don’t field myself in slip anyway,” he added. Australia will be looking to bounce back in Delhi after going down 1-0 in the four-match series. The second Test of the four-match series will take place from February 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where India have not lost a Test since 1987. I think I’ll still field with a cap on (the finger), that’s what I did in Melbourne. I don’t field myself in slip anyway,” he added.