Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc has started bowling again after a very lengthy injury lay off from the game since the end of the Test tour of South Africa earlier this year. 

Starc, who was last seen playing at the highest level during the infamous Cape Town Test in March, sustained and aggravated a knee injury in South Africa and has since missed the Indian Premier League as well as Australia's winter limited overs tours to England and Zimbabwe. 

Starc is currently in a race against time to be fit for the Test series Pakistan in UAE, for which, after finally getting fit in 4 months, he has started training and bowling. He even featured in a one-day match for the New South Wales Blues side and returned with figures of 0/38 in 6 overs. 

Starc was quoted saying on Wednesday, August 21 as, "It's only about the fourth bowl I've had to batsmen, so it's a bit different out in the middle than in the nets. (I'm) trying to make a few changes to the action and the run-up, trying to find some rhythm through there and have a nice hit out in the middle with the Blues boys,"

On the other hand, Australia A is currently in India for a crucial tour that is being seen as a perfect audition for places in the squad that will be picked for United Arab Emirates and Starc thinks, the series will help in getting accustomed to the kind of conditions and surfaces Australia are likely to encounter against Pakistan in October. 

He said, "There's an Australia A tour over there where the guys are getting some time in the subcontinent. The guys in Australia are spending some time, like us, out in the middle today. The prep is going really well for everyone looking to put their hand up for that tour,"

(Inputs from ICC)