Table of Contents
On Day 1 of the second Test against the West Indies at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday (January 25), Mitchell Starc, the proficient Australian left-arm pacer, reached a remarkable milestone, claiming his 350th Test wicket.
Mitchell Starc’s assertive journey to 350 Test wickets
Commencing the match just two wickets shy of the coveted achievement, Starc swiftly asserted his dominance. In the fifth over, Starc dismissed the resilient Tagenarine Chanderpaul. After that demonstrating his prowess, Starc continued his assault in the subsequent over, inducing young Alick Athanaze to succumb to a full-length delivery outside the off-stump. The dismissal, caught behind, sealed Starc’s 350 Test wickets, a testament to his skill and consistency.
Mitch Starc reaches No.350 with a classic Starc delivery! #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance | #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/GkLGjFTFJ8
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 25, 2024
Australian bowling legends: The race to 350 wickets
Within the hallowed halls of Australian cricket, the pursuit of 350 Test wickets has seen some of the game’s legendary bowlers etch their names in history. Dennis Lillee, a pace-bowling icon, holds the title as the fastest to reach 350 wickets, achieving this milestone in a mere 70 matches. Joining him in this elite club are two other luminaries from Australia- Shane Warne, who accomplished the feat in 80 matches, and Glenn McGrath, who achieved the milestone in 74 matches. In a noteworthy achievement, Starc reached the milestone of 350 Test wickets in a career spanning 87 Tests, a feat he shares with his Australian counterpart, Nathan Lyon.
1. Dennis Lillee
- Opponent: Pakistan
- Venue: Sydney
- Matches: 70
2. Glenn McGrath
- Opponent: England
- Venue: Leeds
- Matches: 74
3. Shane Warne
- Opponent: India
- Venue: Melbourne
- Matches: 80
4. Nathan Lyon
- Opponent: England
- Venue: Birmingham
- Matches 87
5. Mitchell Starc
- Opponent: West Indies
- Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane
- Matches 87
Also READ: AUS vs WI: Reason why Cameron Green forced to stand 2 metres away from his teammates during national anthem of Gabba Test
Fastest to 350 wickets in Test cricket overall
While Starc’s journey to this milestone has been remarkable, it’s important to acknowledge the unparalleled speed of Sri Lanka‘s Muttiah Muralitharan, who holds the record as the fastest to 350 wickets, achieving this feat in an astonishingly brief 66 Tests, with India‘s Ravichandran Ashwin matching the pace.
1. Muttiah Muralitharan
- Opponent: Bangladesh
- Venue: Colombo (SSC)
- Matches: 66
2. Ravichandran Ashwin
- Opponent: South Africa
- Venue: Visakhapatnam
- Matches: 66
3. Richard Hadlee
- Opponent: West Indies
- Venue: Christchurch
- Matches: 69
Left-arm prowess: Starc’s ascent to 350 Test wickets
In the realm of left-arm pace bowling, Starc has now also joined an elite club. As the third left-arm pacer to achieve this milestone, he follows in the formidable footsteps of Pakistan‘s Wasim Akram (414) and Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas (355). This exclusive fraternity highlights Starc’s impact as a premier left-arm exponent in the realm of Test cricket.
Among left-arm bowlers more broadly, he currently stands at the fifth position, with illustrious spin maestros Rangana Herath (433) and New Zealand‘s Daniel Vettori (361) sharing the esteemed 350 Test wicket milestone. Starc’s achievement solidifies his place among the best in the history of left-arm bowling.
