The pace spearhead of Australia, Mitchell Starc, has left his mark on cricket history as the left-arm fast bowler to have taken the most wickets in Test cricket. A sensational 6 for 71 on day one of the Brisbane Test against England hoisted him to 418 Test wickets and took him past the legendary Wasim Akram.
Despite the milestone, Starc downplayed any talk of being the “GOAT,” insisting that Akram remains the ultimate benchmark for left-arm pace bowling.
Wasim Akram Hails Starc’s Achievement
Cricket legend Akram publicly congratulated Mitchell Starc on surpassing his tally and complimented the Australian on his work ethic and longevity. Akram called Starc a “worthy champion” and expressed pride in watching him set new standards for fast bowling in this modern era.
Starc Humbled in Response: ‘Wasim Is Still the Pinnacle’
An overjoyed Mitchell Starc, after the match-winning spell, said he felt “tired but grateful”, while reiterating that Akram remains, in his eyes, the greatest left-arm quick of all time.
Starc claimed it was a privilege to be in the same conversation as a bowler of Akram’s quality and hailed the Pakistani great as someone all left-arm fast bowlers drew inspiration from.
Australia Rely on Starc Again as England Fight Back
With Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood unavailable, and Nathan Lyon unexpectedly omitted, Australia were missing 1,116 Test wickets from their first-choice attack.
In their absence, Mitchell Starc once again delivered, dismantling England’s top order and exploiting the pink ball with precision. His early breakthroughs including his 26th wicket in the first over of a Test innings set the tone for Australia. England ended the day on 325 for 9, powered by Joe Root’s first Test century in Australia.
Key Wickets Push Starc Into Historic Territory
The return spell of Starc during the middle session sealed the deal. A snarled full delivery sent Harry Brook packing, launching Starc to 415 Test wickets and, for a fact, into top position among left-arm quicks.
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He added the wickets of Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse to register his 18th Test five-wicket haul. His removal of Ollie Pope was also the 99th occasion on which he has bowled a batsman in Test cricket a testament to his incredible skill at hitting the stumps.
Akram Predicts an Even Greater Future for Starc Akram told News Corp before the game that he now considered Mitchell Starc to be the toughest bowler to face across all formats.
Akram believed Starc would go beyond the 500-wicket milestone, calling him a modern great and a role model for aspiring fast bowlers throughout the world.
A Milestone Moment-A Modest Champion While Mitchell Starc now statistically stands above all the left-arm quicks, he remains quite modest, insisting the accolade stays with Wasim Akram. Nevertheless, with form, fitness and hunger still at their peak, the rise of Starc continues-and his next landmark may not be far away.
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