Mackay [Australia], August 23 (ANI): Australian left-armer Mitchell Starc overtook his teammates' skipper Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon to become the leading wicket-taker in ICC World Test Championship (WTC) history.
Starc achieved the feat during his side's second Test against Bangladesh at Mackay. After a dissappointing loss at Darwin, marking Australia's first-ever loss to Bangladesh at home, Starc led Australia's fightback from the front with a vengeful, brutal ten-fer, including figures of 6/12 in the first innings and 4/39 in the second one.
Now, Starc is the leading wicket-taker in WTC, with 234 wickets at an average of 24.25, with 11 four-fers and eight five-wicket hauls to his name, with best figures of 7/58. He has left behind Cummins and Lyon, who each have 228 wickets to their names. The Aussie trio are the only ones to get 200 or more wickets in WTC history.
Starc won the 'Player of the Series' award for 12 wickets in two matches and is the leading wicket-taker in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, with 58 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 16.98, with a four-fer and four five-wicket hauls. He also entered the top ten Test wicket-takers of all time during the match, surpassing South Africa's Dale Steyn and now has 445 Test scalps.
After a dismal all-round performance led to Australia's first-ever loss to Bangladesh on their home soil, the bowling group, particularly Starc, responded with vengeance and trademark Aussie fire, not allowing Bangladesh to cross the 100-run mark in either innings and won the match by an innings and 51 runs. Australia's flaws with the bat, however, continue to persist, and the team would want them addressed ahead of the Test series in South Africa in October.
Australia won the toss and opted to field first. Starc unleashed his fury on Bangladesh batters, getting his five-wicket haul in the first seven overs and reducing Bangladesh to 12/5. Starc's fifer was a special one as four of five batters got out for a duck. He got some assistance from skipper Pat Cummins (3/25). Bangladesh was 39/9, but avoided the embarrassment of being bowled out for their lowest Test score (their lowest score being 43), as Shoriful Islam (14) emerged as their top-scorer.
With four batters touching double digits, Bangladesh was cleaned up for 64, with Starc (6/12 in 10 overs) bowling yet another legendary spell, entering the top ten Test wicket-takers by overtaking Dale Steyn.
In their first innings, Australia was reduced to 41/3, but Steve Smith (42 in 74 balls, with six fours) and Cameron Green did some repair work with a 77-run stand. However, after Starc, it was another left-arm pacer, Shoriful Islam, who did the damage. He reduced the Aussies to 148/8. Cameron Green (67 in 105 balls, with 10 fours) and Nathan Lyon (32 in 62 balls, with four boundaries and a six) played important knocks to take Australia past the 200-run mark.
Australia was skittled out for 210 at the start of day two, with Shoriful (7/48) recording the best-ever figures by a Bangladesh bowler away from home. Australia led by 146 runs.
In their second innings, Bangladesh was skittled out for just 95 runs, with the trio of Starc (4/39), Cummins (3/10) and Nathan Lyon (3/25) running rampant on Bangladesh.
Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (31 in 46 balls, with six fours) and Mushfiqur Rahim's (29* in 80 balls, with three fours) put on a 27-run stand for the fourth wicket was the highest point of Bangladesh's batting, as they collapsed from 51/3 to 95 all out. (ANI)
Mitchell Starc becomes leading wicket-taker in World Test Championship history
