Mitchell Starc eyes Kapil Dev milestone as Australia begin Bangladesh Test series

Australia pace spearhead Mitchell Starc is on the verge of two major Test cricket milestones as the hosts prepare to face Bangladesh in a two-match series starting in Darwin on August 13. The veteran left-arm quick is within touching distance of surpassing both Kapil Dev and Dale Steyn on the all-time wicket-taking charts.

Starc heads into the series with 433 Test wickets, just one behind former India captain Kapil Dev’s tally of 434. Two wickets in the opening Test at Marrara Stadium would see the 36-year-old overtake Kapil and move into the top 10 on the list of highest wicket-takers in Test history.

“It means I’ve played a bit. It is cool and very humbling to be spoken about with those guys. But that stuff doesn’t mean a whole lot while you’re still playing. You don’t get too far ahead,” Starc told Australian Associated Press.

The left-armer has been in outstanding form during the current World Test Championship cycle, leading the wicket charts with 46 wickets in eight matches. He also finished as the highest wicket-taker in the 2025-26 Ashes series against England. Among Australian bowlers, only Shane Warne (708), Nathan Lyon (567) and Glenn McGrath (563) have taken more Test wickets than Starc.

Reflecting on his longevity, Starc said continuous improvement has been key to his success.

“When you’re 36 and you’ve been around for 16 years, you’d like to think you’ve improved or got better at something. You’re also around that long because you’re able to develop and learn and improve. And you add in a few things like the wobble seam, consistency and other things. I have a pretty clear mindset on it all,” he said.

Starc is also closing in on another landmark. Seven wickets across the two-Test series would take his career tally to 440, allowing him to overtake South African great Dale Steyn (439) and climb to fifth on the all-time list of Test fast bowlers. Only James Anderson (704), Stuart Broad (604), Glenn McGrath (563) and Courtney Walsh (519) would remain ahead of him.