Australia pace icon, Mitchell Starc, made history on Day 1 of the pink-ball Test against England in the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 series as he became the left-arm pacer with the most number of wickets in the longest format. Starc, who started the day in second spot, just two scalps shy of the legendary Wasim Akram’s record, did not take long before he added three scalps to his name, making the record his own, in the second Test of the series at the Gabba on Thursday.
Starc, playing in his 102nd Test match, moved past Pakistan’s Akram’s long-standing tally of 414 wickets in 104 Tests. The milestone is a testament to Starc’s incredible longevity, aggressive style, and his particular mastery of the pink ball.
Left-Arm Pacers With Most Wickets In Tests:
- Mitchell Starc (Australia): 415* wickets in 102 Tests (2011-Present) – Match ongoing
- Wasim Akram (Pakistan): 414 wickets in 104 Tests (1985-2002)
- Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka): 355 wickets in 111 Tests (1994-2009)
- Trent Boult (New Zealand): 317 wickets in 78 Tests (2011-2022)
- Mitchell Johnson (Australia): 313 wickets in 73 Tests (2007-2015)
Starc started the day with another first-over wicket, removing Ben Duckett for a golden duck struck in the first over of the innings for the 26th time in his career. A few deliveries later, Starc removed Ollie Pope to equal Akram’s record. He had to wait a little bit for the third ‘record-breaking’ wicket. It came in the form of Harry Brook, who was caught in the slips by Steve Smith, departing for 31 runs off 33 balls.
