Just when the big DRS controversy involving their skipper was looking to die down, the Australian camp has been dealt another major setback.
Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc is on his way back home after fracturing his foot during the second Test in Bangalore, that India won by 75 runs.
No replacement has been named as yet.
Mitchell experienced some pain in his right foot during the second Test in Bangalore which unfortunately had not subsided a few days after the Test as we had hoped. We made the decision to scan his foot in Bangalore this morning and unfortunately it has revealed a stress fracture. Subsequently, this means Mitchell will be unavailable for the remainder of the Qantas Tour of India and will return home to Australia to start his rehabilitation.David Beakley, Australian team’s physiotherapist
The left-armer, known for his blistering pace and ability to swing both the old and the new ball, took five wickets in the first two tests and also contributed a vital 61 with the bat in Pune, helping the Aussies post 260 in the first innings, in a match they eventually won by 333 runs.
The four-match series between India and Australia is primed at 1-1 with the next fixture slated for March 16 in Ranchi.
This is the second big injury in the travelling Aussie camp, with Mitchell Marsh also returning home after the Bangalore Test. Marcus Stoinis has joined the Australian team in Marsh’s place while Jackson Bird is the reserve fast bowler in the camp.
Starc’s injury is on the same foot that he broke in November 2015, which put him out of the game for six months. He was also affected by bone spurs in the right foot and ankle from 2013.
In 11 test matches since his mid-2016 return, Starc spearheaded Australia's attack, claiming 57 wickets at an average of 24.8 runs apiece. In 36 tests since debuting in 2011, he has 148 wickets at 28.4.
Starc's spell with the second new ball on day four at Bangalore, in the innings where he picked up the series-ending injury, was the catalyst for an Indian collapse — with the hosts losing 5-20 — that left Australia 188 to win. India still won the match by 75 runs to level the series.
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