Mitchell Starc Shatters All-Time Test Record, Leaves Wasim Akram Behind In Elite List

Mitchell Starc Test Record: Australia pacer Mitchell Starc etched his name in record books during the second Ashes Test at Gabba, Brisbane. Starc surpassed former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram to become the most successful left-arm fast bowler in Test cricket history. 

The Australian pacer had picked a 10-wicket haul in the last match and needed three more scalps to surpass Akram and he bagged them in the first session of play itself. Australian bowlers rattled the England batting unit to push them on the back foot in the first innings of the second fixture and left them struggling at 211/6. 

Starc’s first three wickets included the dismissals of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook. The Aussie bowler has 415 wickets to his name at present while Akram has 414. Apart from them, former Sri Lanka pacer Chaminda Vaas picked up 355 Test wickets in his career while Trent Boult and Mitchell Johnson have 317 and 313 scalps respectively. 

England were off to a disappointing start in the first innings after they lost two wickets for just 5 runs. But Joe Root along with Zak Crawley provided the resistance with a partnership of 117 runs for the third wicket. But Crawley’s departure for 76 was followed by fall of wickets at regular intervals. Apart from Starc, Michael Neser and Scott Boland also picked up a wicket apiece.