1. Murali Vijay (India)

Fourth Test, 2014-15, Sydney

It took Starc 15 Tests to begin his now famous run of first-over wickets, removing Murali Vijay caught behind after three deliveries with Australia having piled on 7-572 declared.

Vijay gone, and given a Starc send-off

2 & 3. Kraigg Brathwaite and Rajendra Chandrika (West Indies)

Second Test, 2015, Kingston

A double strike for Starc in the second innings of the second Test. He cleaned up Kraigg Brathwaite bowled three balls in and after Darren Bravo got off strike next ball, Starc got the wicket of Rajendra Chandrika as well. It marked a forgettable Test debut for Chandrika, who bagged a pair in his first outing after Starc removed him without scoring in the first innings as well.

4. Adam Lyth (England)

Second Test, 2015, Lord’s

The first Ashes entry to this list comes via Adam Lyth, who played at a wide one at the Home of Cricket. Peter Nevill was behind the stumps on Test debut and took his first catch after only two balls.

5. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka)

Second Test, 2016, Galle

A fortunate one for Starc who got Karunaratne with the first wicket of the match in Galle. It was a juicy half-volley on the pads which the opener clipped to Joe Burns at midwicket. It began a stranglehold that Starc would have over the left-handed batter; he got him out nine times at an average of 17.44.

Starc completes high five against Karunaratne

6. Dilruwan Perera (Sri Lanka)

Third Test, 2016, Colombo

Makeshift opener Dilruwan Perera was brought out to open in the second innings of the final Test in Colombo as stumps neared on the third day. Perera, perhaps out of his depth, misjudged a full, swinging delivery and didn’t offer a shot. Plumb. Starc finished a breakout tour with 24 wickets at 15.16.

7. Stephen Cook (South Africa)

First Test, 2016-17, WACA Ground

Another scalp in the first over of the match and a screamer from Mitch Marsh at gully. The allrounder went flying as the ball flew off Cook’s bat.

Marsh snares screamer as Starc strikes early

8. Dean Elgar (South Africa)

Second Test, 2016-17, Adelaide

Another nice ball from Starc and another stunning catch in the cordon. This is full and swinging away from the left-handed Elgar who edged to Steve Smith in the slips where the Australia captain took a classy catch down low. 

9. KL Rahul (India)

Second Test, 2018-19, Perth Stadium

A two-year break between first-over wickets for Starc but the drought ended with the dismissal of India opener KL Rahul in 2018. Rahul was caught in two minds, and as he attempted to withdraw his bat in the form of a leave, he chopped the ball onto his stumps.

Starc strikes with superb seed

10. Tom Latham (New Zealand) 

First Test, 2019-20, Perth Stadium

Another Perth Stadium wicket and this time with the pink ball. The Kiwis were asked to start the series in tough conditions and were hammered by the Aussies in the west. Starc set the tone with the caught and bowled of Tom Latham as the NZ opener tried to work the ball and got a leading edge back to the bowler.

Starc’s pink-ball purple patch continues with another bag

11. Prithvi Shaw (India)

First Test, 2020-21, Adelaide 

What a way to start a series. With the second ball of that year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Starc got the pink ball to hoop back in through the gate of Prithvi Shaw, splaying the stumps. In the second innings of this match, India were rolled for 36.

Starc gives Australia dream start with second-ball wicket

12. Mayank Agarwal (India)

Second Test, 2020-21, Melbourne

Another peach from Starc. A full, inswinger to the right-handed Agarwal, and he couldn’t get any bat on it. The opener chose to review it, but ball tracking says it was clipping the stumps.

Watch every ball of Starc & Cummins’ opening overs

13. Rory Burns (England) 

First Test, 2021-22, Brisbane 

Perhaps the most famous of them all. The opening ball of the 2021-22 Ashes series couldn’t have gone any better for Starc and Australia. Rory Burns walked across his stumps as he saw a ball hurtling down the leg-side from Starc. But he couldn’t have predicted the massive swing that hooped around his legs and into the pegs. 

Every angle, every call of Starc’s iconic Ashes opener

14. Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan)

First Test, 2022-23, Perth Stadium 

The right-hander piled on the runs when Australia toured Pakistan earlier that year, but Starc had his number during the reverse fixture Down Under. This one made Abdullah play, it kissed the edge and carried through to Carey behind the stumps.

15 & 16. Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan)

Third Test, 2022-23, Sydney 

It was a pair in Sydney for Abdullah and it was purely at the hands of Starc. In the first innings, Starc got the edge which flew to Smith at second slip, off the second ball of the match.

Both Pakistan openers gone for none in dream Aussie start

In the second innings it was a bit more drawn out, taking six balls after a quality opening over. And the ball that got Abdullah swung back through the gate and crashed into the pegs.

Starc’s unplayable peach seals Shafique’s pair

17. Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)

Second Test, 2024-25, Adelaide

The young gun Yashasvi Jaiswal hit a stunning hundred in the series opener in Perth and mocked Starc mid-innings for “bowling too slow”. Those words came back to bite the opener, who fell lbw on the first ball of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, much to the delight of a pumped-up Starc.

Every call of Starc’s first-ball stunner to Jaiswal

18. Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)

Third Test, 2024-25, Brisbane

And the following Test, Starc doubled the dose. Although this one was a little less convincing, but after Jaiswal scored a boundary with a flashy drive from the first ball of the innings, he flicked the second straight to Mitch Marsh at square leg.

19. Aiden Markram (South Africa)

World Test Championship Final 2025, Lord’s

Another big in-swinger and another Starc special. South Africa star Aiden Markram wasn’t ready for such pronounced movement in the WTC Final, and could only edge the ball onto his own pegs. However, he made up for it with a defining century in the second innings.

20. Kraigg Brathwaite (West Indies)

First Test, 2025, Bridgetown 

Not the prettiest of wickets but a plan executed to perfection. Brathwaite flicked the final ball of the over off his pads and it found Sam Konstas who was positioned in a very deliberate spot backward of square.

21, 22 & 23. John Campbell, Kevlon Anderson and Brandon King (West Indies)

Third Test, 2025, Kingston

The most ludicrous first over of them all. As Australia looked to wrap up a clean-sweep victory over West Indies, Starc took three wickets in the opening over of the fourth innings which included his 400th in Tests.

Sizzling Starc claims 400th, fastest five-for in Test history

The first ball was a beauty, which John Campbell merely tried to defend, and he couldn’t help but snick the ball through to the substitute wicketkeeper Josh Inglis.

Debutant Kevlon Anderson lasted three nervy balls before he offered no shot to a hooping inswinger. It was a simple decision for the umpire as the pink ball would have crashed into middle stump. Brandon King was the third to go, inside edging his first ball on the stumps. 

With 3-0 after the first over, it set the tone as WI were skittled for an embarrassing 27.

24 & 25. Zak Crawley (England)

First Test, 2025-26, Perth Stadium

A pair for the England opener on the dramatic first day of the 2025-26 Ashes series. The first came as Zak Crawley attempted a booming drive off a length ball, which was pouched by Usman Khawaja at first slip. When Crawley came back in the second innings, he was undone not only by great bowling, but great fielding as well.

Starc strikes AGAIN in opening over as Aussies land first blow

As the ball popped up off a leading edge, Starc had to change direction mid-follow through and cling on with an out-stretched left hand. Exceptional athleticism by the big quick that few others would have been able to pull off.

Starc’s freakish caught and bowled shocks Crawley