Mitchell Starc Birthday Special: 5 Best Performances by Australian Pace Machine

Mitchell Starc, the fastest pacer to record 100 ODI wickets, celebrates his 30th birthday on January 30, 2020 (Thursday). Starc finished as the highest wicket-taker and was declared the player of the tournament as Australia lifted their sixth World Cup and maiden title at home after beating New Zealand spurred by Starc’s potential ball of the tournament to dismiss Kiwi captain Brendon McCullum in the very first over of the World Cup final. Starc on completing 100 ODI wickets in just 52 innings broke Saqlain Mushtaq’s 19-year-old and although that feat has since been broken, Starc remains the fastest pace-man to have reached the milestone. On his 30th birthday, take a look at some of Mitchell Starc’s best performances. Watch Video of Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc's Epic Relay Catch.

Born in New South Wales in 1990, Mitchell Starc made his international debut for Australia against India in 2010. He has since gone on to play over 170 international matches across all three formats with 458 wickets to his name. In 88 ODI matches, Starc has already taken 175 wickets, putting him seventh in the list of most ODI wickets for Australia. Starc is also second in Australia’s most T20I wickets-takers behind only Shane Watson, who has taken 48 wickets from 58 T20I games. Starc has played 28 for 39 wickets. Take a look at some of his best performances.

6/43 Against India in Melbourne

Rohit Sharma scored a hundred and the next best score was Suresh Raina’s 51. Only three other Indian batsmen, including Ravichandran Ashwin, managed to reach double figures as Starc ran wreck with the ball taking 6 wickets for only 43 runs. He started by dismissing Shikhar Dhawan in the very first over of the 2nd ODI match in Carlton Mid One-Day International Tri-Series.

Starc then returned for a second spell and took five more in between overs 36 to 48 with India scoring a little over a hundred while also losing all of its middle and lower order to Starc’s rampage. India posted 267 and Australia chased it down with an over remaining.

44/5 & 6/50 Against Sri Lanka in Galle

His best figures in Test match albeit in a losing cause. Sri Lanka had won the 1st Test by 106 runs and Australia needed a response. Mitchell Starc stood up and took a five-wicket haul in the first innings to bundle Sri Lanka for 281. But the visitors couldn’t capitalise and were themselves bowled-out for 106.

Australia once again needed their bowlers to stay alive in the three-match Test series and Starc put up his hand again. This time Starc did one better and took 6/50, thereby achieving his best figures 11/ 94 in Test cricket but Australia failed to chase down and lost. They went to lose the series 0-3 but Starc recorded an incredible feat of taking four or more wickets in at least one innings of all the three Test matches.

2/20 Against New Zealand in Melbourne

The figures are much impressive and rightly so. But this makes the list of his best performances simply because of one delivery. A delivery that sealed Australia’s fate at the 2015 World Cup final at home. Brendon McCullum’s magic men had made it to their maiden World Cup final and looked set for a glorious taste of victory with captain McCullum leading from the front.

But Starc needed only five deliveries to uproot McCullum’s stumps and with it New Zealand’s hopes for a World Cup title. A full-length delivery on the off-stump full of swing, pace, spirit and swag to burst out McCullum’s wicket and MCG on its feet. Australia won the final by 7 wickets. Starc had started it all for them.

4/43 Against England at Lord’s

Aaron Finch’s century had set Australia rolling and they posted 285 on board. Jason Behrendroff then – on debut – pulled hosts England down with a five-wicket haul and Australia won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 group stage match by 64 runs. But the telling blow had come from Mitchell Starc.

While debutant Behrendroff dismantled the top and the bottom of England’s batting order, Starc hit its bone. He dismissed Joe Root and skipper Eoin Morgan first before handing England the sucker punch by uprooting Ben Stokes’ stumps with a vicious yorker right under his bat. Stokes, who looked on course of taking England to a victory, departed to Starc’s ripper and with him went England’s hopes.

6/28 Against New Zealand in Auckland

His best ODI figures again in a losing cause. This time though Starc almost single-handedly took Australia to glory before Kane Williamson sent Pat Cummins over the square boundary and carried New Zealand home. It started with Trent Boult (5/27) who on a swinging pitch blew Australia away and bundled them for 151. But the game wasn’t over until Williamson struck the winning six with one wicket remaining.

In between that Starc nearly had Australia successfully defending that low total with a six-wicket haul. He struck at the top, in the middle and on the lower order taking six of the nine New Zealand wickets that fell. And although Australia lost, a Starc classic was seen.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 30, 2020 08:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).