sydney: Australian wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey believes pace spearhead Mitchell Starc will “push through” the pain of a rib injury to play the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar series here beginning on Friday.
The 34-year-old left-hand quick’s fitness remains the primary worry for the hosts after he battled through sore ribs from day three of the Boxing Day Test but still managed to bowl effectively with help from the team’s physios.
“He’ll be fine. He will push through,” Carey told the media here on Wednesday. The Australian selectors will likely take a call on Starc’s fitness closer to the Test but Carey said he had no concerns whatsoever about his teammate’s fitness.
“I’ve played with Starcy (Mitchell Starc) for a long time now and he is one of the toughest cricketers that I’ve played with. He’ll grimace and grab his rib without a doubt at times but he’ll be ready for the contest,” he said.