Adelaide: Leading Australian paceman Mitchell Starc needs rest rather than surgery for his injured foot and may return for the February series in New Zealand, team bowling coach Craig McDermott said yesterday.


Australia's injured pacer Mitchell Starc in crutches at the Adelaide Oval yesterday. Pic:AP/PTI

Starc limped from the field on Friday's opening day of the day-night Test against the Black Caps in Adelaide with scans later revealing he had stress fractures in his right foot. He came out to bat in Australia's first innings and hit an unbeaten 24, but was unable to run freely on his injured foot. "He (Starc) has obviously got a crack in his foot," McDermott told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "The good news for us is it's not going to be as long as we thought.