HAPPY BIRTHDAY MITCHELL STARC: From performing formidably behind the stumps to ruling the world cricket with his sheer pace, it has certainly been an incredible journey for Mitchell Starc. The story goes that a club coach named Neil D’Costa had first spotted Starc, at the age of 14, playing as a wicketkeeper for the Western Suburbs.
D’Costa trained Starc and played a crucial role in turning the Sydney-born from a wicketkeeper to a fast bowler. There has been no looking back for Starc since then. He made his international debut in October 2010. At the 2015 ODI World Cup, Starc picked up 22 wickets to win the Player of the Tournament award.
As Mitchell Starc celebrates his 33rd birthday today, we take a look at some of his top bowling spells.
6/28 vs New Zealand, 2015
Mitchell Starc had produced one of the finest bowling spells in the history of ODI cricket after he registered amazing figures of 6/28 against New Zealand during the 2015 World Cup. Starc’s sensational bowling had kept Australia alive in the low-scoring affair till the very final delivery. However, New Zealand had eventually emerged victorious in the thrilling contest by a slender margin of one run.
6/50 vs Sri Lanka, 2016
The speedster registered his best Test bowling figures in the second game against Sri Lanka in 2016. In the second innings, the left-arm pacer had bagged six wickets after conceding just 50 runs. Overall, Starc had claimed nine wickets in that game. Starc’s brilliance with the ball had gone in vain as Australia had to concede a 229-run defeat in the match.
4/20 vs West Indies, 2022
Mitchell Starc had scripted his best T20I bowling figures during the second match against West Indies in October 2022. Starc’s amazing figures of 4/20 restricted the Caribbean opponents to 147. Australia had won the game by 31 runs.
8/73 vs South Australia, 2017
In first-class cricket, Mitchell Starc showcased his best bowling figures against South Australia during a Sheffield Shield fixture in 2017. The New South Wales pacer had claimed eight wickets conceding 73 runs in the second innings to earn a six-wicket triumph for his side.
4/15 vs Kings XI Punjab, 2015
Mitchell Starc displayed another tremendous performance during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2015. The Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer scalped four wickets after conceding just 15 runs. The Punjab-based franchise were bundled out for a paltry total of 88 in the game. Bangalore had won the game comfortably by 138 runs.
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