WATCH: Mitchell Starc sends ominous warning with hat-trick against Netherlands ahead of 2023 ODI World Cup

Australia began their preparations for the 2023 ODI World Cup with a warm-up game on Saturday. The match ended without yielding a result due to rain while the Dutch were chasing a steep target.

The star of the day was none other than left-arm-pace bowler Mitchell Starc. The 33-year-old sent a huge warning to the other teams. Mitchell Starc picked a hat-trick as he displayed fine seam bowling with the new ball.

Kerala’s constant downpour meant that the game was a 23-over affair. Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bat first. The idea was to give a good hit to the players who were short on confidence.

Mitchell Starc (source-Twitter)

Mitchell Starc evokes memories of the 2015 ODI World Cup 

The Netherlands were chasing 167 to win from 23 overs. Mitchell Starc was given the task of bowling the 1^st over. The Australian began by conceding five runs from his first four deliveries.

Starc then got the first wicket in the fifth ball of the over. Max O Dowd was caught plumb LBW to a ball that tailed into the batter. The next ball saw the left-arm seamer get the wicket of Wesley Barresi when Starc’s in-swinger rattled the stumps.

Vintage Mitchell Starc as he decimates the Netherlands top order 🤯#Starc & #WorldCup A Beautiful Love Story.#AUSvsNED #MitchellStarc Video : @cricketworldcup pic.twitter.com/w0zpIxCWhx

— Shivam Shukla (@Shukla_j_shivam) September 30, 2023

Bas De Leede was on strike to face the hat-trick ball in the 1^st ball of the third over. Starc delivered a perfect Yorker to disturb the stumps and had the biggest smile after picking the wicket. This exploit reminded fans of Mitchell Starc’s 2015 World Cup campaign where he rattled the opposition at the start of the game.

Batting first after winning the toss, Australia ended with 166 for 7 from their 23 overs. Steve Smith opened the batting and top-scored with 55 runs off 42 deliveries with 4 fours and 3 sixes. Alex Carey with 28 and Cameron Green with 34 were the other key contributors with the bat. Mitchell Starc wielded the long handle as he scored an unbeaten 24 runs in just 22 balls.

The Netherlands batters tried to put up a brave reply after the initial loss of wickets. Colin Ackerman was not out on 31, while Scott Edwards scored 14. When rain came down, the Dutch were 84/6 from 14.2 overs before the game got abandoned.