One of the best cricketers of his generation, Mitchell Starc, turned a year older and celebrated his 34th birthday on Tuesday, January 30. The star pacer recently featured in a two-match Test series against the West Indies, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Renowned for his phenomenal left-arm pace bowling, Starc has left an indelible mark on the cricketing world with his exceptional talent and remarkable performances. Ever since his international debut in 2010, Starc has consistently delivered for the mighty Australian team.
From his devastating yorkers to his ability to swing the ball at electrifying speeds, Starc has already threatened the opposition batters. The Sydney-born player has featured in 266 international matches across all formats for Australia.
In those games, the left-armer has accumulated as many as 662 wickets at an incredible average of 25.39, which is the best bowling average among all Australians with a minimum of 500 wickets.
As he celebrates his 34th birthday, it's the perfect time to reflect on his illustrious career and the unforgettable moments he has gifted to the sport.
On that note, here are five of Mitchell Starc's best moments for Australia in international cricket.
#5 Mitchell Starc helped Australia beat England 4-0 at the 2021/22 Ashes
The Ashes series is undoubtedly the most prestigious Test rivalry in the game's history. Mitchell Starc has won two Ashes Test series, both at home.
In the 2021/22 edition, however, Starc was ruthless. He was the only frontline Aussie pacer to play all five Tests and finished the series as the second-highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets at an average of 25.37.
It must be noted that Starc went wicketless just once in all the ten innings of the series, which constantly created trouble for the English batters.
During the second Test in Adelaide, which was a day-night Test, Starc also became the first-ever player to complete 50 wickets in pink-ball Tests as he took six wickets in that particular game.
#4 Winning the T20 World Cup 2021
Not many fancied Australia's chances going into the T20 World Cup 2021 held in the U.A.E. They barely managed to qualify for the semi-finals on the back of a superior net run rate.
However, the Aaron Finch-led side put their best foot forward in the big games and upstaged Pakistan and New Zealand in the penultimate and ultimate matches, respectively.
While Mitchell Starc didn't light up the tournament, he played all seven games for Australia and chipped in with nine wickets, including the likes of Aiden Markram, Kusal Perera, Litton Das, and Kieron Pollard.
Starc possesses one of the most deadly yorkers at his disposal, but his T20I figures aren't as astounding as his Test and ODI numbers. But winning the T20 World Cup for his country is a tremendous accomplishment that deserves to be recognized.
#3 Lifting Australia's maiden World Test Championship
Despite all the blitz in white-ball cricket, Test cricket always remains at the pinnacle for any cricket player. The same is the case with Mitchell Starc, who has done all he can to be available for most of the Tests for Australia.
When he lifted the World Test Championship for the 2021–23 cycle, Starc emphasized the importance of Test cricket and how winning the prestigious championship was a significant achievement for him and the team.
Starc performed well in the WTC final against India and took the prized wickets of Virat Kohli in the first innings and Ajinkya Rahane in the second essay.
He took a total of four wickets in the game, as Australia won the game by a huge margin of 209 runs. During the entire 2021–23 WTC cycle, Starc bagged 55 wickets in 17 Tests at a great average of 27.98.
#2 Upstaging India at the ODI World Cup 2023 Final
The latest magic moment that Starc experienced occurred when Australia defied all odds to upstage India in the summit clash of the ODI World Cup 2023. It was indeed a surreal moment for Mitchell Starc, who shined in the finals as he took three wickets, including two match-changing scalps of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul.
Australia started their campaign in the worst way possible, as they lost their first two games. However, they then went on to win nine consecutive games to clinch their unprecedented sixth ODI title.
Starc, being the threatening weapon that he is, accumulated a total of 16 wickets at an average of 33 across ten innings. His bowling partnerships with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were a delight to watch, as the left-armer even displayed the art of reverse-swing in the Indian conditions as well.
Beating a dominating India at home would certainly be one of the highest achievements in Starc's career. Starc, who changes into a different beast in World Cups, even garnered three huge wickets in the semi-final clash against South Africa.
#1 Leading Australia to the 2015 WC title as the Player of the Tournament
Unsurprisingly, Mitchell Starc's most successful campaign as an out-and-out demolisher was the all-important 2015 ODI World Cup, which Australia co-hosted alongside New Zealand.
His consistent success boosted the team's confidence, knowing they had a reliable wicket-taker at any stage of the game. He finished the tournament as the joint-leading wicket-taker with 22 scalps, consistently taking crucial wickets throughout the campaign.
Starc's ability to swing the ball both ways and generate an explosive pace made him unplayable at times. He averaged a phenomenal 10.18 in that edition, which is the best for any bowler in a single ODI World Cup campaign.
Winning his first World Cup on home soil against fierce rivals New Zealand would have been an incredibly elating moment for Starc, who was also adjudged as the Player of the Tournament was his magnificent efforts.
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