Mitchell Starc has carved his name into cricket history. On Day 3 of the 2nd Test against South Africa at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, the Australian quick became the first left-arm bowler ever to take 450 Test wickets — and only the 10th bowler overall to reach the mark.
He got there in his 109th Test — and he is the fastest in history by balls bowled: just 20,577 deliveries, smashing Glenn McGrath’s record of 23,474 balls. The milestone wicket was South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder, out for 13, gloving a 144kph bumper that deflected off his helmet to first slip (Matt Renshaw) — Australia won the decision on review after the on-field umpire initially said not out.
Starc is the fourth Australian to 450, joining Shane Warne (708), Nathan Lyon (573) and Glenn McGrath (563). Dennis Lillee sits next on the list with 355.
It was a landmark day with a subplot: on the same day, Scott Boland took his first five-wicket haul outside Australia, Josh Hazlewood missed most of the bowling after falling sick, and Nathan Lyon was omitted from the XI. Starc finished the day with 3-89 as South Africa recovered to 425-9 declared.
At 36, with pace still touching 144kph, Starc isn’t done yet — but 450 wickets as the first left-armer in history is a record that will stand for a very long time. Read about Australia’s 99 all out and the World Series 2026 preview.
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.