BENGALURU: Australian paceman Mitchell Starc is optimistic on his chances of returning to the side for the second Test against India despite the lingering effects of a finger injury that kept him out of the defeat in last week’s series opener.

The tourists lost by an innings and 132 runs inside three days on a slow wicket in Nagpur and parachuted left-armer Starc into the squad ahead of the second test, which begins in New Delhi on Friday.

“I’d like to be a little further down the road,” said Starc, who sustained the injury fielding against South Africa in December. “Still a good chance of playing. It’ll come down to how it reacts by the end of the day, how the medical staff see it, how the selectors, skipper Pat Cummins and Ronnie (coach Andrew McDonald) feel about it.

“I’ll do everything I can to be available for selection.” Starc told reporters he planned to bowl “as normal” but his finger was still lacking strength after being in a splint for weeks.

The 33-year-old said that batting would be uncomfortable and he would wear a protective cap on his finger while fielding.

Starc may be one of only two fast bowlers in the side if all-rounder Cameron Green — also recovering from a finger injury — is fit to play, allowing the tourists to deploy three spinners.

The paceman said Australia were prepared for another challenging week on a testing wicket.

“I’m not sure we’ll see conditions change too much from last week with how the guys have discussed it,” Starc said. “Judging by the last couple of days, the wickets out back are similar in many ways to what the centre is.”

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2023