I wouldn't bowl to him in England: Starc on Gill

Melbourne, Jul 11 (PTI) Australian speedster Mitchell Starc is amused by the nature of pitches in the ongoing India-England Test series and says he wouldn't want to bowl to the in-form Shubman Gill on such "absolute highways." India's new captain Gill has aggregated nearly 600 runs in just two Tests, riding on two big centuries and one double hundred. The five-match series is currently locked at 1-1.

Speaking on Willow Talk Podcast, Starc said, "I wouldn't bowl to him (Gill) in England, that's for sure. I didn't see much of the game, I saw the scorecards.

"There were a few guys that were waking up, particularly Marnus and Alex Carey and Steve Smith who would sit around a coffee machine and watch the game. I did see the scores. Who would be a kid in England and want to bowl on some of those wickets." "But from all reports, it was very sub-continent like which I find it hard to believe. The pitches looked brutal for bowlers," Starc added.

Gill, who succeeded Rohit Sharma as skipper of the Indian Test team just before they departed for England, has displayed imperious form and smashed 269 and 161 in the side's massive victory at Birmingham after scoring a century in his maiden innings as captain at Leeds.

On the show, Australian women's team star Alyssa Healy asked Starc if he is worried by the high scores in England ahead of the upcoming Ashes.

"I don't read into any of it. It's hard to I mean it's the same as they're probably reading into us over here on wickets that are hard to bat on. And we're that would be the same as us sitting and going, 'Ok, they're playing on absolute highways'.

"What do you take out of 300 runs for a Test match and India bowling them out? I don't know. They are not playing for draws. That's what you take out of it," Starc said. PTI AH UNG