Mitchell Starc Nears 400 Test Wickets and 100 Matches as He Prepares for India Series

Mitchell Starc, the Australian fast bowler, is preparing for a significant year in his cricket career as he approaches his 35th birthday in January. With a five-Test series against India on the horizon, Starc is close to achieving remarkable milestones of 400 Test wickets and 100 Test matches.

Despite these potential records, Starc remains grounded and focused on his contributions to the team rather than personal accolades. He has been a mainstay in Australia’s bowling attack and acknowledges the possibility of his name being etched among the legends of the game. However, he maintains that records have never been his primary motivation.

In March, Starc surpassed the legendary Dennis Lillee’s tally of 355 Test wickets, cementing his place as one of Australia’s most successful fast bowlers. Only Glenn McGrath and Lillee stand ahead of him in terms of wickets taken by Australian seamers. While McGrath extended his career until 36 and Lillee retired at 34, Starc’s future remains undecided, though he acknowledges the challenges of sustaining a fast-bowling career at an elite level as he ages.

Since the end of the 2019 Ashes, Starc has been a constant presence in the Australian Test side, consistently performing at the highest level. Over the past five years, only a select few bowlers, including Ravichandran Ashwin, Nathan Lyon, and Pat Cummins, have taken more Test wickets than Starc’s impressive haul of 143.

Starc’s commitment to international cricket has been unwavering, even at the expense of lucrative opportunities in the Indian Premier League (IPL). His decision to forgo potentially $10 million in IPL earnings to focus on representing Australia has only enhanced his reputation as one of the nation’s greatest white-ball bowlers.

However, Starc is realistic about his future, particularly when it comes to balancing the demands of all three formats of the game. While English icon Jimmy Anderson recently retired at the age of 42, Starc does not envision following the same path. Instead, he remains focused on the immediate challenges, including a home Ashes series and the Champions Trophy, which are both on the horizon in the next 18 months.

For Starc, Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport, and he is determined to continue playing at the highest level for as long as his body allows. While the future may hold uncertainty, Starc has not set an end date for his career just yet. Instead, he is eagerly anticipating the upcoming summer and the challenges it will bring, keeping an open mind about how much longer he will continue to wear the Baggy Green.