Mitchell Starc Makes Test History as Bangladesh’s Pacers Put Australia Under Pressure in Darwin

Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc added one more remarkable Test legacy on Thursday, becoming the most successful left-arm bowler in the history of Test cricket during the ongoing Test series between Australia and Bangladesh in Darwin.

Starc reached the landmark when he dismissed Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam in the ninth over of the first innings. In the process, Starc overtook Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath, going past the Test tally to 434. Starc is currently at the top of the list of left-arm bowlers by wickets.

His latest achievement also saw him draw level with Indian great Kapil Dev on the list of Test cricket’s leading wicket-takers. Kapil took 434 wickets in 131 Tests between 1978 and 1994, while Starc has reached the same mark in 25 fewer matches.

The Australian left-armer is now just six wickets away from breaking into the top 10. South African legend Dale Steyn currently holds 10th place with 439 wickets from 93 Tests.

As Starc continued to make history, Bangladesh’s pace attack also made a strong impact, putting Australia on the back foot on the opening day. Hasan Mahmud delivered a career-best performance, taking 6-55 as Bangladesh dismissed Australia for 198 on a green-tinged pitch in Darwin.

Top 10 Left-Arm Pacers In Test Cricket History

Australia got off to a fast start after choosing to bat first, reaching 45 without losing a wicket before Hasan Mahmud made the breakthrough in his sixth over. He dismissed Jake Weatherald for 23 before removing Travis Head for 22 in the very next over, giving Bangladesh the opening they needed to seize control.

Hasan, Taskin Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain took full advantage of the conditions, keeping Australia’s batters under constant pressure. Taskin claimed 2-55, while Ebadot finished with 2-39 as Bangladesh’s seamers dominated the opening two sessions.

Steve Smith provided the main resistance for Australia, battling his way to a determined 71. However, Bangladesh’s disciplined pace attack continued to extract movement from the surface, making life difficult for the Australian batting lineup throughout the innings.

Bangladesh Batsmen Put Final Nail

With the Bangladesh bowlers pulling the plug on the Australian batters, the batters stepped in to take the Tigers towards an unassailable lead. Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, and Najmul Hasan Shanto all piled up runs to put Bangladesh in the driving seat. Bangladesh is trailing Australia by 17 runs on Day 2 of the 1st Test match at the TIO Stadium in Darwin.