Australia pacer Mitchell Starc becomes most successful left-arm bowler in history

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc became the most successful left-arm bowler in Test history after dismissing Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam in Darwin on Thursday.

Starc began the first Test level with former Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath on 433 Test wickets. But when Islam was caught by Nathan Lyon off Starc’s bowling in the ninth over of Bangladesh’s first innings, the Australian moved clear of the Sri Lankan great.

The dismissal took Starc’s tally to 434 wickets in 106 Tests, putting him joint 11th on the all-time Test wicket-takers’ list alongside India great Kapil Dev, who reached the same mark in 131 matches between 1978 and 1994.

At 36, Starc is now just six wickets away from breaking into the top 10. South Africa fast-bowling legend Dale Steyn currently occupies 10th place with 439 wickets from 93 Tests.

Widely regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers of his generation, Starc made his international debut in October 2010 and quickly established himself as a key figure in Australia’s teams across formats.

He also boasts the rare achievement of winning all three major ICC men’s world titles – the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup and World Test Championship.

In ODIs, Starc has claimed 247 wickets in 130 matches at an average of 23.58. He has also been part of Australia’s victorious ODI World Cup campaigns in 2015 and 2023.