'The body is holding together, and it's a great group to be a part of.'
Australia pacer Mitchell Starc, who was named Player of the Series in the just concluded Ashes series against England, opened up about fatigue before praising Australian and English fans for constant support throughout the series.
Australia retained the Ashes, winning the series 4-1 after bagging the fifth Test in Sydney by five wickets.
In the five-match Ashes series, the left-arm pacer scalped 31 wickets in 10 innings at a superb average of 19.93, along with two five-wicket hauls. Starc, who finished as the highest wicket-taker, joined elite company.
Starc joined Shane Warne (40 wickets in 2005 series), Mitchell Johnson (37 wickets in 2013-14), Glenn McGrath (32 wickets in 2001), and Warne (31 wickets in 2001), who picked 30 or more wickets in an Ashes series this century.
Starc took the responsibility in the absence of captain and veteran pacer Pat Cummins, who played the Adelaide Test and fellow quick Josh Hazlewood, who was ruled out due to injury.
Apart from bowling, Starc notched up 156 runs with the bat, along with two half-centuries.
"It feels like it's going ok. The body is holding together, and it's a great group to be a part of. I'm a little bit tired," Starc said during the post-match presentation.
"Between Scott Boland, Michael Neser and I, we've been told we're not on the younger side of things, but we've worked hard as a group. I'm glad I got a few runs at the start of the series, even though I didn't at the end. The partnership in Brisbane with Boland was a big one for us," he added.
Earlier in the series, the hosts clinched victories in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide, before the Three Lions bounced back and registered a memorable win in Melbourne.
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