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Mitchell Starc ruled out of third Test with stress fracture in right foot

Friday 27 November 2015

Mitchell Starc reacts as he sustains a foot injury on the first day of the third Test against New Zealand in Adelaide.

©REUTERS / Action Images

Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has been ruled out from bowling in the remainder of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand in Adelaide after suffering a stress fracture on his right foot on day one.

The New South Wales pacer will, however, be available to bat if the situation demands.

Starc looked in discomfort throughout the innings and finally decided to limp off the field after the 48th over in the New Zealand innings.

The 25-year-old was immediately sent for a scan which revealed "an early stage stress fracture of his third metatarsal" marking an end to his participation in the game.

He recorded figures of three for 24 in the nine overs he bowled and accounted for the key wickets of Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum and Mitchell Santner.

Confirming the news in a press release, Cricket Australia Physiotherapist David Beakley said a decision on Starc's return will be taken on due course.

Starc has been suffering from a chronic ankle injury for quite some time now and it was revealed that surgery on it will take him at least four months to recover.

Before the commencement of the series against New Zealand, Australia's chief selector Rod Marsh stated that an operation on Starc's ankle will be possible only when the injury worsens, while hoping the left-arm-pacer is able to carry on until the World Twenty20 in 2016.

"My understanding of Starc is that he can keep going until it actually gets a hell of a lot worse, and then he will have to have an operation, rest won't help him," said Marsh in September.

"He has got spurs in his ankle and there is a bit of bone that has broken off and floating and every now and then it gets into a position where it is just chronically painful.

"Eventually it is going to have to be removed but it will take another three or four months after the operation for him to be able to play again.

"We have got some pretty important cricket coming including the T20 World Cup and we would like to see Starc lead the attack for that... but if he can't, he can't.

“But at the moment the plan is for him to keep going.”

With Starc already ruled out Australia's fortunes in the ongoing series-deciding third Test will bank heavily on Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.