Mitchell Starc edged ahead of Wasim Akram on the opening day at the Gabba, yet insisted the Pakistan great remains the benchmark for left-arm pace. The Australian’s 6 for 71 against England carried him to 418 Test wickets, four clear of Wasim’s tally, but any talk of being the greatest was politely pushed aside.
“I won’t be calling myself that,” Starc said, looking and sounding knackered after another long shift with the pink ball. Moments later he added, “I’ll reflect on it later, Wasim’s still a far better bowler than I am. So as far as I’m concerned he’s still the pinnacle of left-armers and certainly right up there with bowlers to ever play the game. So it’s nice to be spoken of up around that, but I’ll just try and keep churning a few out.”
Those six wickets were timely. Australia started the 2025-26 Ashes without Pat Cummins or Josh Hazlewood, and even Nathan Lyon’s 527 dismissals were left on the sidelines. Starc, therefore, carried an attack nearly 1,100 wickets light into a contest that saw Joe Root post his first century in Australia and lift England to 325 for 9 by the close.
Key moments arrived quickly. Ben Duckett was Starc’s 26th first-over victim in Tests, pinned on the crease by a fuller in-ducker. Ollie Pope lost his off stump soon after – number 99 bowled for Starc in the format. Steven Smith, standing in as captain, held his spearhead back for the traditional twilight burst, then tossed him the ball earlier than planned once Root and Harry Brook began to free their arms. Second ball back, Brook threw a flat-footed drive at one angled across him; a fast edge flew to Smith in the slips and the record changed hands.
From there, wickets arrived steadily. Will Jacks edged low to the cordon, Gus Atkinson skied a short ball, and Brydon Carse nicked behind, giving Starc his 18th five-for and a sniff of personal best figures for a third straight Test. Jofra Archer, though, hung around with Root long enough to deny that particular milestone.
Wasim, following from afar, had predicted the moment. “Right now, [Starc] is the number one bowler in world cricket and the hardest one to face in all forms of cricket,’’ he told News Corp before the Test. “He will go past my record and that is fine because he is a man for the job and a worthy champion.” The praise kept flowing: “I am actually really proud of this guy. He has done wonders for his side and for cricket as a game. There are a lot of youngsters in the world who just want to be Mitchell Starc.” And finally: “He has plenty of cricket in him. I think he will get 500 Test wickets. He is a modern great and in the top bracket of fast bowlers in the history of the game.”
Starc’s own numbers suggest that target is realistic. He averages 16.72 in day-night Tests – 87 wickets in total – and remains Australia’s most durable quick, despite a workload that often sees him bowl during the most taxing sessions. The left-armer turns 36 next month, yet the rhythm and late swing that first caught the eye a decade ago hardly appear diminished.
England, meanwhile, will feel they are just about in the match. Root’s hundred – well compiled, peppered with trademark nudges and one audacious reverse scoop – was the backbone of a total that could test a second-string Australian batting line-up in the morning. Conditions are expected to stay humid, so any swing on offer will interest the visiting seamers.
From an Australian perspective, the bigger question is sustainability. Can Starc keep carrying an attack missing its usual heft? Cummins is pencilled in for Adelaide but Hazlewood’s comeback remains uncertain. Lyon’s omission raised eyebrows; a long Ashes summer rarely passes without a significant role for a spinner, especially with two matches in Sydney.
For now, though, the spotlight rests on Starc and a record he was reluctant to celebrate. Those inside the Australian dressing-room know how central he is: the first-over strikes, the awkward angle to left-handers, the old-ball yorkers that make late order resistance feel futile. England certainly felt it on a sticky Brisbane afternoon.
The hunt for 500 starts soon enough, perhaps as early as the second innings here. Starc, ever pragmatic, preferred a shower and a sit-down. “Pretty tired,” he admitted, offering a smile that betrayed both satisfaction and a hint of what is still to come.
