Starc seals spot in the elite with Test wicket No.300

Road to 300: Mitchell Starc’s milestone wickets

At the ground where his Test career began 11 years ago, Mitchell Starc completed his journey to 300 wickets to elevate himself into the pantheon of great Australian fast bowlers.

Starc became just the fifth Aussie paceman to reach the milestone when he snared the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen in South Africa’s second innings in the first NRMA Insurance Test at the Gabba.

The left-armer clean bowled van der Russen with a trademark delivery that seamed back into the right-hander, sharing handshakes and embraces with teammates as the Proteas slumped to 2-3.

It was at this same Brisbane venue in 2011 that Starc received his Baggy Green from Richie Benaud, quickly sealing a memorable maiden wicket when he had Brendon McCullum caught by David Warner.

Australia’s top Test wicket-takers

Shane Warne: 708 wickets

Glenn McGrath: 563

Nathan Lyon: 450*

Dennis Lillee: 355

Mitchell Johnson: 313

Brett Lee: 310

Mitchell Starc: 300*

Australia beat New Zealand by nine wickets but Starc was out-bowled by fellow debutant James Pattinson in his entrance to Test cricket and came away seeking greater consistency in his bowling.

“I was a little bit inconsistent … I’ve just got to work on that consistency to get that ball swinging,” Starc, aged 21, said after his first day as a Test cricketer.

By his own admission it has been an up-and-down journey to achieve that, but the now 32-year-old believes the last two years have marked his best as a Test cricketer.

Starc joins 300 Test wicket club in spectacular style

And the fact he has joined Glenn McGrath (561 Test wickets), Dennis Lillee (355), Mitchell Johnson (313) and Brett Lee as the only Aussie quicks to the 300-wicket mark underlines just how well his record stacks up.

Spinners Nathan Lyon (450) and Shane Warne (708) are the other Australians to have passed the milestone.

Starc has gotten there in the same number of Tests (74) it took Proteas pace aces Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock, the latter watching on from the Fox Cricket commentary box.

It is a remarkable achievement for a player who did not start taking fast bowling seriously until his mid-teenage years, having previously wanted to be a wicketkeeper.

“I probably didn’t feel like I belonged or feel like I was at that level until probably 25 Tests and I started to get a little bit of confidence,” Starc told Fox Cricket before play today.

“That comes with experience and age. I guess I had to learn on my feet. I came out of wicketkeeping into bowling it all happened pretty quickly.

“It’s still a development thing, I’m still learning a few things now.”

Mitchell Starc: In case you don’t know me

Starc led the home side’s charge during the Proteas’ first innings, snagging 3-41 to put himself one wicket away from the milestone with Travis Head putting down a hot chance off Kagiso Rabada at short leg after a couple of juggling attempts that would have gotten him there on the opening day.

“I had it then Heady dropped it,” laughed Starc in an interview with cricket.com.au on Saturday.

While he had had some fortune in getting the first breakthrough of the Test when captain Dean Elgar was caught down the leg-side, he needed no luck as broke South Africa’s biggest partnership of the match so far.

The 98-run stand between Temba Bavuma and Kyle Verryenne was over when Starc angled a searing delivery that Bavuma chopped back onto his stumps, before having Keshav Maharaj caught at second slip by Steve Smith.

Quality pace attacks created ‘fast forward’ cricket: Starc

Chief among the reasons behind Starc’s sustained success in Test cricket has been his ability to tune out criticism that he admits had gotten him down earlier in his career.

“I was someone who listened to and read everything,” he said.

“And then that year we had multiple broadcasters start (when Seven and Fox won the television rights for the 2018-19 summer), everyone coming in with radio and whatever, that’s when it really doubled down on the noise and it really got away from (me).

“That’s where I learnt it was best to let things go and only worry about the groups that mattered most to me.”

Starc has also pointed to his decision to sit out the Indian Premier League over recent years as key to his continued improvement as a Test bowler.

The paceman has sacrificed around $A10 million but he insists it has paid for itself, having not played in the lucrative tournament since 2015.

“It’s not been great for the back pocket,” Starc said with a smile. “(But) it certainly helped my body.

“If I look at the last couple of years of Test cricket, that decision has certainly helped – just the holistic approach to life and being able to see that when both of us (him and Alyssa) have a little bit of time away from cricket.

“Mentally and physically it’s been hugely beneficial and probably paid for itself.”

Men’s NRMA Insurance Test Series v South Africa

Dec 17-21: First Test, Gabba, 11.20am AEDT

Dec 26-30: Second Test, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Jan 4-8: Third Test, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Eree, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo

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