The 30th of January saw the Australian cricketing great Mitchell Starc turn 35 in style while writing history. Starc, one of Australia’s top pacers, achieved a remarkable feat when he took his 700th international wicket in the first Test match against Sri Lanka. This itself serves as a fitting birthday gift for the veteran who has been with Australia’s bowling attack for over a decade.
Starc’s Milestone: 700 International Wickets
Starc took only 4 wickets in his short stint on the second day, but what he did in that time of play truly mattered. He achieved 1 wicket for 10 runs, and his international tally climbed to 700. Starc has joined the revered list of players reaching this milestone, and with it cemented his place as one of the most consistent and excellent players in all three forms of the game.
Starc has already registered 700 wickets for an astoundingly long career over 94 Tests, 127 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 27 T20 Internationals, through which he has taken 376 wickets in Test cricket, 244 in ODIs, and 79 in T20Is. A sublime record for one of the best fast bowlers of the game.
Australia Was Sublime with Batting in the First Test
While the milestone by Starc was indeed the star of the day on his birthday, the Australian batsmen too strutted their stuff in the first Test against Sri Lanka. Usman Khawaja paved the way with an unassailable 232, making the Sri Lankan bowlers quake in their boots. His brilliant performance provided Australia with a decent opening in the match.
As Khawaja stamped his authority, so did skipper Steve Smith with an impeccable innings of 141 runs. Smith’s century was significant not only for the team but also for himself, — he became the 14th player throughout the game, to reach 10,000 Test runs, entering the record books as one of the best.
Josh Inglis’ Victory Debut
But in a moment of history, Josh Inglis has made his debut for Australia at the Test level and became only the third Test player to make a century for his country on debut. It was a fine knock of 102 shared with Khawaja and Smith as Australia was dominating with the bat but his century only created more anticipation for the young Australian in the future for a spot in the squad.
Australia’s Dominant First Innings
Coherently with the illustrious performances from these players, Australia declared at 654 for 6. This declaration set the tone for the aura of dominance; the batsmen and bowlers showed their class and skill. Starc’s 700th historic wicket, coupled with the piecing together of the batting finesse of Khawaja, Smith, and Inglis, placed Australia’s first innings in the recent echelon of the most memorable in Test cricket history.
A Day to Remember
Mitchell Starc’s 35th birthday marks this day as not only a historic one for him and international cricket but with the important performances from the Australians. It is a day that had a fast bowler achieving 700 wickets, a captain reaching the mark of 10000 runs in Test cricket, and a debutant scoring a century on his first day. With such fascinating feats, the stage is now set for a rip-roaring contest in the rest of the series.
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