High Drama at the MCG: Starc and Jaiswal Lock Horns in Crucial Test
Crowds at the Melbourne Cricket Ground got a taste of classic Test cricket tension during the fourth Test between India and Australia. India found themselves tottering at 59/3 on the last day, chasing a formidable 340—a task demanding nerves of steel from even the most seasoned players. The stakes couldn’t have been higher, and that pressure spilled into a memorable tussle between Australian quick Mitchell Starc and India’s 21-year-old opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
When Starc, eyes fixed and mind ticking, approached for his run-up, he pulled a move straight out of the cricketing mind-games playbook: he reached for the bails at the non-striker’s end and flipped them around. The gesture, an old superstition trick that’s been known to rattle batters and break concentration, wasn’t lost on anyone—least of all Jaiswal. The young opener didn’t blink. Instead, he calmly walked over, turned the bails back just how they were, and looked Starc in the eye. A few words were exchanged. Starc grinned, asking, ‘Superstitious? What are you doing there?’ But Jaiswal was quick with his response: ‘I believe in myself, that’s why I am here. I’m just enjoying this moment in my life.’ The stump mic captured every bit, giving fans an inside taste of cricket’s psychological chess.
Mind Games and Momentum: A Test of Character
This wasn’t just about tinkering with bails. For Starc, it was a deliberate attempt to disrupt Jaiswal—maybe to remind him that the Australians can turn up the heat in subtle, even quirky, ways. The tactic isn’t new: Stuart Broad famously used it during the Ashes. But on this tense afternoon, even a small act like bail-switching became the spark for a bigger showdown. The moment came at a time when India’s chase was hanging by a thread, early wickets already tumbling, and a roaring Aussie crowd behind every ball. Rishabh Pant, Jaiswal’s partner at the other end, knew just how much this wicket meant—not just to Starc, but to the outcome of the entire match.
This Test had already seen a fair share of verbal exchanges. In Perth earlier in the series, Jaiswal had needled Starc with a pointed jab about his bowling speed, proving the youngster is far from intimidated by big reputations. Starc’s answer, in the form of the bail-switching move, looked like payback. But the real story was Jaiswal’s response. Under pressure, the left-hander showed composure beyond his years—not getting flustered, not taking the bait. The message from Jaiswal was clear: mind games may come and go, but self-belief and focus are the real weapons on days like this.
The moment offered a snapshot of everything fans love about Test cricket—high-pressure situations, gladiators trading blows, and a psychological contest unravelling with every delivery. Jaiswal and Pant tried desperately to reset the innings, restore calm, and inch India towards a near-impossible chase. But as the world watched, it was that small, almost silly swap of bails that symbolized a bigger battle being fought—one not just of runs and wickets, but of grit, confidence, and pride under the blazing Melbourne sun.