Glenn McGrath has more Test wickets, and Pat Cummins boasts a better average, but Mitchell Starc’s knack of striking in the first over of a Test innings is becoming one of fast bowling’s most remarkable feats.
The left-arm pace bowler continued his astonishing run on Thursday, removing England opener Ben Duckett for a golden duck with the sixth ball of the second Ashes Test at the Gabba.
After inflicting similar damage on Zak Crawley in Perth – who was dismissed for a duck on the sixth and fifth balls of his innings in the first Test – Starc made it three from three this series with another strike in the first over at the Gabba.
He also had Ollie Pope on his way for a third-ball duck in the third over of England’s innings.
With Australia missing fast bowling mainstays Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood through injury, and Nathan Lyon omitted for the pink-ball Test, Starc’s day one haul of 6-71 from 19 overs was even more valuable.
It was the 26th time Starc has taken a wicket in the first over of a Test innings, well clear of anyone else to play the longest format. England great Jimmy Anderson is next on 19, despite taking 286 more wickets than Starc, while Kemar Roach (10), Stuart Broad (nine), Tim Southee (nine) and Trent Boult (nine) are well back.
Since making his debut in 2011, Starc has sent down the first delivery in 170 of Australia’s 195 bowling innings. With 26 first-over wickets, Starc strikes once every 6.5 times he opens the bowling.
Remarkably, 10 of those have come in the past 12 months. In the opening match of last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal sledged Starc about bowling too slow. A week later in Adelaide, Starc trapped him lbw with the first ball of the match.
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