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Australia National Cricket Team left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc became the latest member of the 450-wicket club in Test cricket after dismissing South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder during the second Test at St George’s Park in Gqeberha. The Australian left-arm fast bowler reached the landmark with a fiery short delivery, adding another milestone to his remarkable international career.
Mitchell Starc achieved the feat in his 109th Test, becoming the fastest bowler in history to reach 450 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled. He needed 20,577 deliveries, bettering the previous mark of 23,474 balls held by former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath.
Mitchell Starc creates history with 450 Test wickets
Starc reached the milestone in the 50th over of South Africa’s first innings on Day 3 of the second Test. He bowled a short delivery to Mulder, who was surprised by the bounce and raised his hands in front of his face while attempting to protect himself.
The ball brushed Mulder’s glove before hitting his helmet and travelling towards first slip, where Matt Renshaw completed the catch. Australia appealed, and a review confirmed the glove contact after the on-field umpire initially remained unmoved.
Mulder departed for 13 off 38 deliveries, giving Starc his 450th Test wicket. The dismissal also continued Australia’s pressure on the South African batting lineup.
Starc’s achievement places him fourth on Australia’s all-time list of Test wicket-takers. Shane Warne leads the chart with 708 wickets, followed by Nathan Lyon with 573 and McGrath with 563. Dennis Lillee completes the top five with 355 wickets.
Mitchell Starc becomes fastest to 450 Test wickets
Starc’s record is particularly notable because the fastest route to 450 wickets depends on the metric used. Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan remains the quickest to the milestone in terms of matches, reaching it in 80 Tests. Starc required 109 matches, but his efficiency in terms of deliveries sets him apart.
Fewest matches to 450 Test wickets:
| Bowler | Matches |
|---|---|
| Muttiah Muralitharan | 80 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 89 |
| Anil Kumble | 93 |
| Glenn McGrath | 100 |
| Shane Warne | 101 |
| Mitchell Starc | 109 |
Mitchell Starc's bowling partner runs through South Africa's top order
Scott Boland provided Australia with another major boost, dismantling South Africa’s top order with his accuracy and movement. He removed Aiden Markram and David Bedingham in consecutive deliveries on the opening day, before continuing to trouble the hosts when play resumed.
Boland’s ability to maintain pressure proved crucial on a surface that offered assistance to the seamers. He explained that the conditions from his end appeared to offer slightly less bounce, keeping the stumps in play.
“My game plan is pretty simple, I'm just trying to put the pressure on the batter as much as I can, get as many repeat balls in a good area, making them make tough decisions,” Boland said.
The veteran pacer also acknowledged the competition for places in Australia’s pace attack, with Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood established options.
“I want to play every Test, but I probably know that's not 100% realistic, so I just want to be ready for whenever I get an opportunity,” he said.
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