Australian pacer Mitchell Starc delivered one of the most memorable performances in Test cricket history as he celebrated his 100th match in style, helping Australia thrash the West Indies by 176 runs at Sabina Park, Jamaica. With this win, Australia completed a dominant 3-0 clean sweep in the Frank Worrell Trophy series, however the day belonged to Starc.
Mitchell Starc produced an extraordinary spell of fast bowling, taking 6 wickets for just 9 runs in only 9.3 overs, as the West Indies crumbled for just 27 runs, the second-lowest team total ever in Test cricket. His pace, swing, and accuracy proved unplayable under the lights, as he ran through the batting order with ruthless efficiency.
In doing so, Starc became the first fast bowler in Test history to take a five-wicket haul in his 100th Test match. Prior to this, all fifers in the 100th test belonged to spinners. His astonishing figures 6-9 are also the best ever recorded by any player in their 100th Test, breaking Muttiah Muralitharan’s 6-54 set in 2006.
Starc’s name now features alongside some of the greatest bowlers of all time who made their 100th Test memorable:
Best Bowling Figures in a 100th Test
This feat adds yet another jewel to Starc’s crown, further securing his legacy in Australian cricket.
Already renowned as a pink-ball maestro, Starc extended his unmatched tally in day-night Tests to 81 wickets, far ahead of Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon (43 each). He is now the only player to record five five-wicket hauls in pink-ball Tests.
His six-wicket haul for just nine runs is the third-best performance in pink-ball Test history, and the first-ever six-wicket haul conceding fewer than 10 runs. He also completed his five-wicket haul in just 15 balls, the fastest in Test history, and became the first since Irfan Pathan in 2006 to take three wickets in the first over.
Mitchell Starc didn’t just play his 100th Test, he redefined what a milestone match can be.
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