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Starc Surpasses Akram To Become Highest Wicket-Taker In Tests Among Left Arm Pacers
Follow UsStarc picked up his 415th Test wicket by dismissing Harry Brook in the ongoing pink ball Test at The Gabba
Mitchell Starc has established himself as the leading left-arm pacer in Test cricket history after going past the Sultan of Swing, Wasim Akram, during the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, Australia, on December 4, 2025.
Starc had already begun the day on a great note when he dismissed Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope in the first and third over of the Test after England won the toss and chose to bat first in the only pink ball Test of the series. While Duckett got sucked into edging the last ball of the first over to first slip, Pope played a loose, half-hearted horizontal bat shot away from his body and inside-edged the ball to his stumps.
England had a good consolidating period after that, with Joe Root and Zack Crawley scoring 117 runs for the third wicket. However, Crawley departed soon after the Tea break, and when the natural light dissipated, Starc was back into bowling action and wasted no time in picking a wicket.
Brook, who had batted well but dangerously until then, played a wild drive on a full delivery that was quite a bit outside his off stump, edging it straight to Steve Smith at slip, who now has the most catches for a fielder against an opposition in Test cricket.
This was Starc’s 415th wicket in Tests, which took him past the Akram. While Akram picked 414 wickets in 181 innings, Starc took 14 more innings to reach there.
This was also Starc’s fifth three-plus wicket haul against England in pink ball Tests, which is the most for a bowler against an opposition in pink ball cricket.
Most wickets for a left-arm pacer in Tests
415* - Mitchell Starc (195 inns)
414 - Wasim Akram (181 inns)
355 - Chaminda Vaas (194 inns)
317 - Trent Boult (149 inns)
Most 3+ wicket hauls against an opponent in Pink Ball Tests
5* - Mitchell Starc vs ENG
3 - James Anderson vs NZ
3 - Scott Boland vs WI
3 - Pat Cummins vs IND
Most catches for a fielder against an opponent in Tests
62* - Steve Smith vs ENG
61 - Greg Chappell vs ENG
57 - Allan Border vs ENG
57 - Ian Botham vs AUS
47 - Rahul Dravid vs AUS