Mitchell Starc Creates History In Test Cricket
Mitchell Starc broke the record for most Test wickets by a left-arm bowler on August 13, 2026, when he bowled Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam in the first Test in Darwin. Nathan Lyon caught Islam, giving Starc his 434th Test scalp and lifting him beyond Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath, who had 433 wickets.
Starc, 36, achieved the milestone during his 106th Test match. The record-breaking delivery came early in Bangladesh’s first innings, highlighting the Australian pacer’s ongoing menace at the top of the order even late in his international career.
Most wickets in Tests taken by left-arm bowlers
| Sr No. | Bowler name | Matches | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell Starc (Australia) | 106* | 434* |
| 2 | Rangana Herath (Sri lanka) | 93 | 433 |
| 3 | Wasim Akram (Pakistan) | 104 | 414 |
| 4 | Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) | 113 | 362 |
| 5 | Chaminda Vaas | 111 | 355 |
The list includes two distinct disciplines. Herath and Vettori earned their points with spin, while Mitchell Starc, Akram, and Vaas depended on pace. Starc’s average of 26.50 is between Akram’s remarkable 23.62 and Herath’s 28.07, making him one of the most effective wicket-takers in the group, regardless of style.
Where does Mitchell Starc currently rank in the all-time Test wicket-takers list?
Starc’s 434 wickets place him joint 11th on the all-time Test wicket-takers list, alongside India’s Kapil Dev. Kapil Dev accumulated the same tally across 131 matches between 1978 and 1994, making the comparison in terms of matches played significant: Mitchell Starc has reached the same milestone in 25 fewer Tests.
Six more wickets would move Starc into the top ten all-time Test wicket-takers. Dale Steyn of South Africa is presently ranked tenth, having taken 439 wickets in 93 Tests. If Starc reaches that milestone, he will become only the tenth bowler in history to have taken 440 or more Test wickets, demonstrating how rare consistent success at this level is.
How does Mitchell Starc record compare to Herath’s left-arm legacy?
Herath concluded his Test career with 433 wickets in 93 tests, an average of 28.07. Over the course of more than a decade as a left-arm spinner for Sri Lanka, he established the record thru turn, flight, and unwavering accuracy. Mitchell Starc has followed a different path to the top of the same list, generating wickets with pace and swing rather than spin.
The difference between Mitchell Starc and the third name on the left-arm list is significant. Pakistan’s Wasim Akram departed with 414 wickets in 104 Tests at an average of 23.62, leaving a 20-wicket gap between him and the new record holder. That gap demonstrates how long Herath’s record stood and how important Mitchell Starc feat is in the larger history of left-arm bowling in Test cricket.
