Mitchell Starc, the veteran Australian left-arm pacer, etched his name deeper into the record books by becoming the first player in Test cricket history to take a wicket with the very first ball of a match on four separate occasions.
The record-shattering moment arrived during the second Test against Bangladesh at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Bowling the opening delivery of the match, Starc produced a late-swinging delivery to dismiss Bangladeshi opener Shadman Islam for a golden duck. The ball found the edge and was pouched by Cameron Green in the gully.
The historic feat highlights Starc’s reputation as the most dangerous first-over bowler of the modern era. It is just run in and try and hit the stumps. Beyond match-opening deliveries, Starc now holds nine first-ball dismissals across either innings of a Test match, surpassing England’s James Anderson (8). He also boasts 26 career wickets taken in the first over of a Test innings, trailing only Anderson’s all-time tally of 29. Reflecting on his simple yet ruthless philosophy with the new ball, Starc said that nothing has changed in last 15 years. “Nothing has changed over 15 years.
That has been pretty much it, run in and try and be aggressive and find some swing if it is there to bring the stumps into play,” said Starc.
