Brisbane, December 4 – Australia’s left-arm pace spearhead Mitchell Starc achieved a major milestone on the first day of the second Ashes Test (2025-26) between Australia and England at the Gabba in Brisbane, which began on Thursday. Starc surpassed Pakistan’s legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram to create a new record.
Until the Brisbane Test, the record for most wickets by a left-arm fast bowler in Test cricket belonged to Pakistan’s great fast bowler Wasim Akram. Akram had taken 414 wickets in 181 innings across 104 Tests between 1985 and 2002.
Before the Brisbane Test, Starc had 412 wickets in 101 Tests. He needed 3 wickets to break Akram’s record. At the Gabba on Thursday, Starc dismissed Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook to surpass Akram. Brook became Starc’s 415th victim in Test cricket. After overtaking Akram, Starc has become the 16th most successful bowler in Test history. The Gabba Test is the 102nd Test of Starc’s career.
In Test cricket, only Starc and Akram are left-arm fast bowlers who have taken 400 or more wickets. Other prominent left-arm fast bowlers include Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas and New Zealand’s Trent Boult. Vaas took 355 wickets in 111 Tests, while Boult has taken 317 wickets in 78 Tests.
The record for most wickets in Test cricket belongs to Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 800 wickets in 133 Tests. Shane Warne is in second place with 708 wickets in 145 Tests. England’s right-arm fast bowler James Anderson is third with 704 wickets in 188 Tests. India’s Anil Kumble is fourth with 619 wickets in 132 Tests. England’s right-arm fast bowler Stuart Broad is fifth with 604 wickets in 167 Tests.