Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc was teased by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fans during the first session of Day 1 of the pink-ball Test against the India team at the Adelaide Oval. The Kolkata Knight Riders fans could be heard chanting, “Mitchell Starc loves IPL” in a video that has gone viral.
Starc was the pick of the bowlers for Australia in India’s first innings in Adelaide on Friday, December 6. He dismissed opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for a golden duck on the first ball of the Test. The fast bowler became only the second bowler in history to take a wicket off the first ball of a Test three times.
Watch: Mitchell Starc Teased by Kolkata Knight Riders Fans on Day 1
Mitchell Starc continued his dominance by dismissing KL Rahul for 37 runs, with Nathan McSweeney taking a stunner at gully. This was the third consecutive time in the series that Starc had dismissed Rahul. Starc then secured the big wicket of Virat Kohli, who was caught by Steve Smith at second slip.
While fielding at the boundary, Starc was playfully taunted by some Indian fans. The fans were teasing him about his IPL career, particularly his time with Kolkata Knight Riders.
You can watch the clip of the incident below:
The Indian crowd teases Starc about the IPL and KKR.
Starc politely inquires about his price. pic.twitter.com/Pxag0V50Lz— ICT Fan (@Delphy06) December 6, 2024
Starc was once the highest-paid player in IPL history when Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for Rs 23.75 crores. He played a role in leading KKR to their third IPL title. However, he was released by KKR ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, where he was acquired by Delhi Capitals (DC) for Rs 10.75 crores.
Didn’t Do Much Wrong In Perth – Mitchell Starc
During the innings break, Mitchell Starc admitted the opposition simply played better in Perth. He said that the pitch was expected to provide some help, but the team adjusted well after the first hour of bowling.
“Yeah, I don’t know, I can’t tell much. The ball was coming out nicely in this game. Didn’t do much wrong in Perth. They just played better. The ball was moving. The pitch is a good one. We just wanted some momentum. Carried it all the way. Nothing changes from game by game. It’s just the process. It’s nice to get away from the past and do well,” Starc said.
“As a bowling unit, we need to be patient. There are rough patches. You need to get through it. Sometimes, it doesn’t swing and do much. Sometimes, it does too much in a quick time. We made most of the conditions.”
“It certainly did not help the engine; it got a bit cramped at the end. It goes through weird patches, won’t do much, and then does go. On day 1, you expect a little bit of grass to do a bit. Maybe with the forecast we have, it dries out a bit later on, but apart from the first hour when we were a bit wide, we were good,” he concluded.
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