followed this up in a game against the Highveld Lions with another three wickets. The Sixers won the tournament undefeated, and Starc finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets, getting him named player of the tournament. Starc's success despite the heavy workload he'd had over the last twelve months impressed de Winter, who said he had proven to be "robust". Upon his return to Australia, Starc admitted that he had lost seven kilograms due to a gastric complaint during the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka and a follow-up illness during the Champions League in South Africa. Starc was in consideration for the first Test match against South Africa, but was ultimately left out of the team in favour of Ben Hilfenhaus. He was named as 12th man for the first two Test matches, and in the meantime played well for New South Wales to push his case for inclusion in the team. He was finally included in the side for the final Test of the series in Perth. Whilst Australia lost the match, Starc took 6/154 and achieved the second fastest Test fifty (32 balls) by an Australian in Australia's second innings on 4 December. Though Australia lost that match, Starc helped bowl Australia to their first win of the summer in the next match against Sri Lanka in Hobart. In the final innings, Starc bowled aggressively with reverse swing and took the final two wickets of the innings to win the match, finishing with figures of 5/63. Despite his recent form, he was rested in favour of Jackson Bird to make his debut for the subsequent Boxing Day Test. The decision to rest Starc for the Boxing Day Test was controversial. Australia's young fast bowlers in recent years had suffered from many stress fractures, which sports scientists attributed to heavy workloads, and with Starc being the only bowler to play for Australia in all three formats (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is) he had a very heavy workload. However, the decision was criticised both because of the significance that playing in the Boxing Test match would have for Starc, and because resting Starc in the middle of a Test series could have consequences for his confidence and form. Former Australian fast bowler Damien Fleming noted that bowlers can't simply be switched on and off like robots. Starc and Bird would both be selected for the Sydney Test a week