Cricket: Starc still a chance to face New Zealand in return series

Mitchell Starc may be available for the return test series in New Zealand. Photo / Getty

New Zealand's batsmen may yet have to cope with Australian speedster Mitchell Starc in their return test series in February.

The tall left armer had been assumed sidelined after a fracture in his right foot bowling in New Zealand's first innings at Adelaide.

However it appears surgery may not be required.

''He's got a crack on the top of his foot," Australia's bowling coach Craig McDermott said today.

''He's had a heel impingement which may have affected that, who knows, trying to compensate for landing on his heel he may have put more pressure on the front of his foot and that's eventuated in a crack."

Starc has been on crutches and wearing a moon boot since the injury, apart from a brief stint at the batting crease yesterday.

''The good news for us is it's not going to be as long as we thought, so he's going to be out for three weeks and then we can work on him from there," former test quick McDermott said.

''Hopefully we can get him up for the New Zealand series and the World T20 where he's ranked No. 1 in the world.

"All the way through England and the one-day series he's had his heel impingement. In the last 12 months he's done an unbelievable job."

- By David Leggat in Adelaide