Mitchell Starc still not 100% fit but will return for Australia’s third Test in India

Star quick Mitchell Starc has put his hand up to be selected for Australia’s third Test against India but admits he will be hindered by his injured finger. Australia have missed the speedy left-armer since he broke his finger while fielding during the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the MCG.

The demolition of the Proteas in December proved to be a costly affair for Australia, who also lost allrounder Cameron Green to the same injury during the match. But the pair will both play in the Test in Indore, starting on Wednesday.

Starc said he was feeling “good enough” but will need to field with a splint on his finger for protection.

“There’s going to be a level of discomfort for a little while, I don’t think it is going to be 100% for a little while,” Starc said in Indore on Monday. “But the ball is coming out quite nicely and I feel like I’m pretty much at full tilt.

“It wouldn’t be the first Test match I’ve played in some sort of discomfort. If I only played when I was at 100% I would have only played five or 10 Tests. I’m happy with where it’s at and I’ve built up enough of a pain threshold to deal with that stuff over the last 10 or 12 years.”

Captain Pat Cummins will miss the Test after returning home to Sydney to be with his seriously ill mother Maria. Just like Cummins did during the second Test in Delhi, Starc could play as Australia’s only frontline fast bowler with the tourists to consider again picking three spinners.

But if that is the case, Green will be able to bowl valuable overs of fast-medium in Indore. In Green’s last Test, the 23-year-old picked up his first five-wicket haul in Tests.

“I had 10 days off when I first did the injury and I’ve been bowling since,” Starc said. “Workload-wise, body-wise,