Ashes 2021-22, Gabba Test: Mitchell Starc's poor form, lack of technology among talking points on Day 3

England has delivered a strong fightback against Australia in the opening Test at The Gabba in Brisbane. Day 3 on Friday largely favoured the visitor, with Joe Root and Daws Malan keeping the English at bay. Nevertheless, there were still plenty of topics to discuss as we analyse them here.

Is Mitchell Starc off-form?
Starc is one of the most lethal seamers for Australia across formats. However, he has failed to be consistent this year, mainly going wicketless, failing to break the partnerships, and most importantly, he has been leaking runs of late. The same has been the case in this Test, having claimed just a couple so far. If Australia loses this Test, Cummins can opt for Jhye Richardson or Michael Nesser.

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Joe Root desperately needs a century
Root has done a commendable job in the second innings, as he remains unbeaten on 86. While he remains well on course for a century, he has no choice but to score it. And, the reason for that being is that he has never struck one Down Under. He is one of the four horsemen in world cricket, and he needs to fire a ton in Australia to seal his legacy.

Cricket is dependent on techonology
Technology in cricket has been a topic of debate for ages, with the demand always being high. As the technologies have got implemented over time, it has made the game cleaner. But, most importantly, the sport has somewhat become dependent on it. With the lack of enough technologies in this Test due to logistical issues, everyone feels its wrath. At the same time, some decisions could seemingly have result-altering implications. In the same light, Malan survived a caught-behind appeal today due to the lack of Snicko.