The pain from Mitchell Starc’s busted fingers wasn’t the only thing getting the fast bowler hot under the collar on Thursday.
The left-arm paceman continued to bowl against South Africa at the MCG despite two days earlier suffering tendon damage in the middle finger on his bowling hand.
Starc is set to miss the SCG Test, but opted to bowl in the second innings in Melbourne to help his team roll the Proteas.
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However he wasn’t in the best of moods during the first session on day four, and took exception to Theunis de Bruyn attempting to sneak a couple of metres during Starc’s run-up.
At one point, Starc stopped his delivery in the final stride, turned around and pointed at de Bruyn’s bat which was about two metres outside the non-striker’s crease.
“Stay in your crease, it’s not that hard,” the fiery quick said.
“The line is there for a reason mate.”
On the following delivery, Starc’s yorker hammered into the toe of Sarel Erwee to dismiss de Bruyn’s teammate.
During a drinks break shortly afterwards, Starc explained to Fox Cricket why he was so frustrated.
“I think he was halfway down Punt Road, was he?” Starc said of de Bruyn, who was dismissed by Scott Boland soon after the incident.
“It’s bad enough in white-ball cricket, I don’t know what the need is in red-ball cricket.
“I was just letting him know if I have to keep my foot behind the line, he can at least keep his bat behind the line.”
Starc has spoken out about batters trying to gain an unfair advantage previously.
During a Twenty20 game in Canberra he also warned England captain Jos Buttler to stay in his crease.
Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald in October, Starc suggested the third umpire should use cameras positioned to judge run-outs to also see if batters are backing up too far.
He says umpires should call one-short (taking a run off the batting team) if the non-striker has gained an unfair advantage.
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