Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc is on the verge of two major Test cricket milestones as he prepares for the two-match home series against Bangladesh, beginning in Darwin on August 13.
The left-arm quick heads into the series with 433 Test wickets, just one short of former India captain Kapil Dev’s 434. A single wicket will see Starc equal Kapil’s tally, while two wickets in the opening Test at Marrara Stadium will move him past the Indian great and into the top 10 on the all-time Test wicket-takers’ list, according to cricket.com.au.
Starc also has the chance to climb the list of the most successful fast bowlers in Test history. Seven wickets across the two-match series would take him to 440 wickets, surpassing South African legend Dale Steyn’s 439 and moving him into fifth place among pace bowlers. Only James Anderson (704), Stuart Broad (604), Glenn McGrath (563) and Courtney Walsh (519) would remain ahead of him.
The milestones come after another prolific year for the 36-year-old, who claimed 55 Test wickets at an average of 17.32, playing a key role in Australia’s 4-1 Ashes series victory and emerging as a leading contender for the 2026 Allan Border Medal.
Starc has attributed his sustained success to greater mental clarity, the stability of Australia’s pace trio alongside captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, and the increased use of the wobble seam with the Kookaburra ball.
Australia have recalled Cummins, Hazlewood and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon for the Bangladesh series as they begin their home Test season.
The first Test will be played in Darwin from August 13 to 17, while the second is scheduled in Mackay from August 22 to 26.
