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Mitchell Starc ... Source: Mark Evans / News Limited
India are privately hoping Mitchell Starc is not axed for the second Test, claiming first-Test tormentor Ravi Ashwin is exploiting pinpoint footmarks unwittingly created by the Australian quick.
Starc could be a victim of Australia's potential decision to play a second spinner in Hyderabad after the promising left-armer (0-75) struggled to find the right length from 25 wicketless overs in the series opener.
But the Indians are sweating on the Australian selectors keeping faith in Starc.
Sources close to the home side have revealed the Indians noticed Starc's natural run-up in the first Test roughed-up the Chennai pitch in the precise region where Ashwin lands his right-arm off-breaks.
The footmarks created by Starc's loping stride helped Ashwin rout the Australians, with the 26-year-old returning match-figures of 12-198 to spin the Indians to an eight-wicket
victory.
The perfect demonstration of Starc's inadvertent pitch assistance came on day four, when Ashwin produced a wicked delivery that turned sharply from off to leg to trap Michael Clarke lbw.
By day five, there were deep craters and undulations around the batting crease, making it almost impossible for the tourists to stave off India's suffocating walls of spin.
Starc is one of Australia's finest practitioners of reverse swing, but the rookie quick is unlikely to be retained ahead of James Pattinson and Peter Siddle if selectors opt to play a second spinner.
Starc was the only frontline Australian bowler to go wicketless in the first Test, but Australian skipper Michael Clarke refused to point the finger of blame at the 23-year-old.
"Our bowlers tried everything," he said.
"I think our execution wasn't as disciplined as we needed, especially when the wicket is good for batting like that, you need to be really patient and be able to build pressure.
"We did that at stages, but not as consistently as we needed to."
Asked if they erred by playing four quicks, Clarke said: "We are not India, we are a different team, we have different fast bowlers to the Indian fast bowlers and we have different spinners to the Indian spinners.
"Bowling wise, if you take MS Dhoni's double-hundred out I think we have done pretty well."
The Test wasn't a complete disaster.
Moises Henriques was outstanding, backing up his 68 in the first innings with a gutsy 81 not out that warranted a century after he saved Australia from an innings defeat.
Australian firebrand James Pattinson bowled his heart out, Clarke bludgeoned his 23rd Test century and maligned spinner Nathan Lyon returned 4-244, claiming the scalps of Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.
Clarke praised the performance of Henriques, who batted with guts, smarts and maturity on a wearing wicket.
"He's played a lot of first-class cricket. He's been around first-class cricket for a long time," he said.
"He's always had talent. It's just about trying to turn that talent into performance.
"I think it's very exciting the way he has started. He's been a very talented player for a long time back in Australia but it's nice to see that potential come to the forefront in his first Test match.
"He looked very comfortable with both bat and ball. That's exciting for Australian cricket going forward and very exciting for Moises."
See if Australia can bounce back in the second Test, starting on Saturday 2 March LIVE, EXCLUSIVE and in HIGH DEFINITION on Fox Sports.
