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Mitchell Starc's position as the first Aussie bowler targeted when things go wrong appears to be grating on his cricket star wife, Alyssa Healy.
Starc was roasted by a host of former players — including Mitchell Johnson, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne — for his body language and lack ofcontrol in a match where he returned combined figures of 5/103 from 40.5 overs.
"I just don't like his body language," Johnson said in commentary for ABC radio. "He hasn't given a bit of a glare or puffed his chest out with a good follow through, let the batsman know he's in the contest, that he's going to rip the pegs out."
"That last one with the brand new ball, none for nine from two overs, but what's not in the statistic is two lots of four byes that goes against the name, as a blemish, to Tim Paine," Gilchrist said in commentary for Fox Sports. "But Tim Paine was barely in the same postcode."
Mitchell Starc and his wife Alyssa Healy during an Australian training session at Adelaide Oval. Photo / Getty
Warne added: "Mitchell Starc strikes me as the type of guy — a bit like Glenn McGrath — the more he bowls the better he gets," the former Australian leg-spinner said on Fox Sports.
"He just finds that rhythm, he's a real rhythm-type bowler and once he gets into that rhythm he's lethal.
"I just reckon this year he's struggled a bit because he's had a lot of time off."
The commentary from Johnson on Starc's lack of intimidatory qualities is a common refrain — Warne, in particular, has made it a focus in the past.
Healy appears to have had enough — and made her point to Johnson on Twitter.
Big left-armer Johnson wrote: "Congratulations to India. Loved Australia's fight to the end, need to move on quickly from this loss & prepare for Perth which is a quick turn around."
Healy tagged Starc and replied: "Will your preparation be getting grumpy?"
Starc is being backed by his captain to rediscover his fiery best on a fast track in Perth.
The exchange between Alyssa Healy and Mitchell Johnson. Photo / Twitter
Skipper Tim Paine concedes Starc hadn't been at his best in Australia's 31-run loss to India in the first test in Adelaide.
But Paine says Starc will be licking his lips in anticipation of bowling on a bouncy Perth pitch from Friday in the second test.
"When Starcy's on song, there is no better bowler in the world, particularly with the new ball," Paine said.
"In Perth, the conditions will suit him down to the ground ... from what I am hearing, the wicket is going to be really fast, so he'll be a handful."
Starc was given just two overs with the second new ball in India's second innings but Paine defended the performance of his chief strike bowler.
"For the majority of the test, Starcy actually bowled really well," he said. "I saw a bit of stuff ... that people were pretty critical of him. But I think his economy rate for a lot of the test was really good — he took some wickets.
