At 35, an age when most fast bowlers are either slowing down or contemplating retirement, Mitchell Starc appears to be operating on an entirely different level. Not only did he produce his career-best figureson the opening day of the much-anticipated 2025/26 Ashes in Perth, his Test career average and strike rate are currently at their best heading into the pink-ball Test at the Gabba. He also sits at a career high ICC bowling rankings ranking – fifth with 820 rating points, underlining that he is peaking deep into his career.
Since the day-night Test against India in Adelaide last year, Starc has been on a remarkable run. In 11 Tests in this period, he has taken 51 wickets at an average of 18, striking once every 5.1 overs. When broken into 10-Test career blocks, this stretch marks the best phase of his career in terms of both average and strike rate.
Mitchell Starc’s average and strike-rate over 10 Test blocks ©Cricbuzz
He took 6 for 9 in his 100th Test in Kingston, his career-best figures at the time, only to better them four months later at home with 7 for 58 on the opening day of the Ashes. More than 80% of his deliveries in Perth clocked north of 140 kph, a testament to his fitness complementing the skillsets.
By the end of the Perth Test, Starc’s career Test average dipped to 26.64, the best it has ever been. Among the 30 fast bowlers with 300+ Test wickets, only Stuart Broad (in his 144th Test) and Glenn McGrath (110th) reached their peak career average at a later point than Starc (101st Test). McGrath hit his peak 89% into his career, Broad 86%, while only Richard Hadlee (88%) joins them in achieving his best numbers in the final third of his career.
BowlerHighest career avg reachedTest in which highest avg reachedCareer TestsFinal career avgM Starc *26.6410110126.64G McGrath21.0111012421.64R Hadlee21.98768622.29S Broad27.5614416727.68M Marshall20.29568120.94Imran Khan21.47608822.81B Willis23.45439025.20C Ambrose20.51469820.99S Pollock19.865010823.11K Rabada *21.21317322.03
Flying under the radar in the Ashes
Much of the Ashes build-up centered around the fitness and availability of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, leaving Starc’s presence overlooked to an extent. Despite being the most experienced of the trio and the fact he was considered surplus to the starting XI in the previous two away Ashes series, the Perth Test reaffirmed how vital his presence is, especially without the other two senior quicks.
During the match, he became the 23rd bowler to reach 100 wickets in England-Australia Tests. He did so in just 4488 balls, the second-fastest after Glenn McGrath’s 4356. His strike rate of 43.0 is the best among the 23 bowlers with 100+ wickets in England-Australia Tests, ahead of the second placed McGrath, who eventually finished his career at 157 wickets in 30 Ashes Tests at 46.3.
Starc also dismissed two of England’s pillars, Joe Root and Ben Stokes, in both innings. He has now removed Stokes 11 times at an average of just 17.36. While Root’s struggles in Australia are largely attributed to his poor head-to-head against Cummins and Hazlewood, the first Test made it clear Starc is no less a threat. Heading into Brisbane, none of England’s top seven boast of a 40+ average against Starc; Zak Crawley has the best record at 38.75 but was dismissed for a first-over pair in Perth by the left-armer and will have his task cut out at the Gabba against an even more treacherous pink ball.
England’s top seven vs Starc
BatsmanInngsRunsBallsDisAvgBpDBA Stokes231913091117.3628.0JE Root333496391034.9063.9Z Crawley15155206438.7551.5BM Duckett9107122426.7530.5HC Brook691105330.3335.0OJD Pope96587232.5043.5JL Smith22721127.0021.0
Australia are the masters of day-night Tests, having played 14 of the 24 such matches played around the world, winning all but one. Their lone defeat came at the Gabba against West Indies in early 2024 – the venue of the next Test. England, by contrast, has lost five of their seven day-night games, including all three Ashes pink-ball Tests.
Starc has played in all 14 of Australia’s day-night Tests, more than any player globally. His 81 wickets are nearly double the next best (Cummins’ 43), and he averages 17.08 with a strike rate of 33.3, both vastly superior to his red-ball numbers. Brisbane’s sunset typically arrives 90 minutes earlier than Adelaide’s, offering extended twilight periods that favour fast bowlers. How England combat the Starc threat will heavily influence the course of the second Test and likely that of the series.
Most wickets in Day-Night Tests
PlayerMatWktsAvgERSR5-fersM Starc148117.083.0733.35P Cummins94317.342.7937.22N Lyon134325.622.5759.61J Hazlewood94018.502.5643.22J Anderson62416.252.1245.81S Broad72326.262.7457.30R Ashwin51915.892.8433.50S Boland41813.162.6629.60
Sustaining success through the season
The challenge for Starc is maintaining form as the series progresses, especially if the appearances for Cummins or Hazlewood are rationed for the summer. Since the start of the 2020/21 home season, he has taken 56 wickets at 18.64 in 11 Tests pre-Christmas, a period that usually hosts the pink ball Tests along with games in Brisbane and Perth, the two pitches Down Under that usually provide good bounce and carry. But in the 13 Tests played on and after Boxing Day, his average rises to 35.87; excluding the two pink-ball Tests in January, it worsens to 39.63. On the more benign surfaces of Melbourne and Sydney, he has struggled. In nine Tests at the MCG and SCG since 2020/21, he has claimed only 25 wickets at 37.72 while conceding 3.45 per over.
Starc in home Tests since 2020/21
PeriodMatWktsAvgSR5-fersBestPre-Christmas115618.6437.227/58Post-Christmas133935.8760.104/55
Approaching a historic milestone
As he returns to the cauldron at the Gabba later this week, Starc is closing in on a major milestone. He is just two wickets shy of surpassing Wasim Akram’s tally of 414 to become the highest wicket-taker among left-arm seamers in Test history. Already a bonafide ODI great, such a feat in Tests would reinforce Starc’s legacy as a bowler of incredible grit and longevity and one who may be saving his very best for the twilight of his career.
Most wickets by left-arm seamers in Tests
PlayerMatWktsAvgERSR5-fers10-fersWasim Akram10441423.622.5954.6255M Starc10141226.643.4246.7173C Vaas11135529.582.6866.0122T Boult7831727.493.0054.9101M Johnson7331328.403.3351.1123Zaheer Khan9231132.943.2760.4111N Wagner6426027.573.1352.790