Cricket / Mitchell Starc Wreaks Havoc against Bangladesh, Becomes Leading Wicket-Taker in WTC History

New Delhi, Aug 22: Mitchell Starc delivered a landmark performance in Mackay on Saturday, rewriting World Test Championship (WTC) records with his brilliance against Bangladesh.

The Australian pace spearhead stormed into history as the tournament’s all-time leading wicket-taker, his fiery spell cementing his place among the game’s greats.

The veteran left-arm pacer ripped through Bangladesh’s batting line-up, returning extraordinary figures of 6-12 as Australia bowled the visitors out for just 64 after opting to field first. His devastating spell saw him surpass teammate Pat Cummins to claim the top spot in WTC wicket-taking charts.

Also read: India Strengthen WTC Spot After Galle Test Win

Starc now has 230 wickets in 56 matches, moving ahead of Cummins and Nathan Lyon (225 each). India’s Ravichandran Ashwin (195) and Jasprit Bumrah (185) complete the top five.

Starc also climbed to the top of the ongoing WTC 2025-27 cycle, with 54 wickets in 10 Tests, overtaking England’s Josh Tongue (53). His impact was immediate, dismissing Shadman Islam with the opening ball of the match — his fourth career wicket on the first ball of a Test.

He struck again in the third over, removing Tanzid Hasan before trapping Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw with the very next delivery. Mominul Haque soon followed, caught by Green, as Bangladesh collapsed.

Litton Das became Starc’s fifth victim, trapped lbw, completing a remarkable five-wicket haul in just 22 deliveries.

The spell also carried historical significance. With his 440th Test wicket, Starc overtook South African legend Dale Steyn to move into 10th place on the all-time Test wicket-takers list, becoming the fifth-highest fast bowler in history.

His record-breaking effort came at a crucial juncture, with Australia trailing 1-0 in the series after Bangladesh’s stunning nine-wicket win in Darwin.

(IANS)