mitchell starc PSL 2025

 

Wasim Akram hails ‘modern-day great’ Starc on 100-Test milestone

mitchell starc PSL 2025

• Mitchell Starc becomes 83rd player and 16th Australian to play 100 Tests
• He is only the second Australian fast bowler to achieve the feat after 35-year-old fast bowler Glenn McGrath

Karachi: Pakistan fast bowling legend Wasim Akram on Saturday described Australia's Mitchell Starc as a "great player of our time" for completing 100 Test matches.

Starc, who is often compared to left-arm pacer Wasim Akram, will reach the milestone during the third Test against the West Indies in Jamaica starting on Saturday.

Wasim Akram told AFP:

"Playing 100 Tests in this day and age is a huge achievement, congratulations to Starc. It shows his ability and determination."

The 35-year-old Starc became the 83rd player in the world and the 16th Australian to play 100 Tests, and is only the second Australian fast bowler to achieve the feat, with only Glenn McGrath having achieved the feat before him.

Akram added:

"Playing 100 Tests is a testament to how consistent Starc has been, and it also shows what his priorities are — playing red-ball cricket.

Although he has also played T20 and league cricket, his real career has been in Test cricket, and for me he is one of the greats of the modern era."

Starc currently stands at 395 Test wickets, so he has a golden opportunity to take his 400th wicket in his 100th Test.

His strike rate is surprisingly close to Wasim Akram, who took 414 wickets in 104 Tests before retiring in 2002.

Akram added:

"Both players have faced injuries in 'every joint, every part' during their careers.

People often compare us, but we have played in different eras."

"He has pace, swing, and he bowls very intelligently with the new ball, especially against new batsmen."

Australia vs West Indies, Day 3 of the Third Test — An Incredible Moment in History

The third day of the third Test between Australia and West Indies in Jamaica will go down in history as the visiting team produced one of the most shocking performances in Test cricket history against the hosts.

Australia had to defend just 204 runs on a pink ball and a difficult wicket, but the bowling line-up led by Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland shocked the cricketing world by bowling out the West Indies for just 27 runs — the second lowest score in Test cricket history.

Starc took the fastest five wickets in Test history, while Boland completed a stunning hat-trick. The hosts’ devastation in just 14.3 overs, the record-breaking run, the disappointing innings and the complete dominance of Australian captain Pat Cummins’ team made this a memorable day.

West Indies' 27 is now the second-lowest total in the 147-year history of Test cricket — behind only New Zealand's 26 against England in 1955.

It is also the West Indies' lowest score in Test history, surpassing their previous record of 47 in 2004.

Records That Fell in Kingston

Record	Details
Fastest five-wicket haul in Test cricket	Mitchell Starc – in just 15 balls
Best bowling figures in a player’s 100th Test	Mitchell Starc – 6 wickets for 9 runs
Hat-trick for Australia in Tests	Scott Boland became the 10th Australian to achieve this
Second-lowest team total in Test history	West Indies – 27 runs
Lowest ever Test total by West Indies	Previous lowest: 47 (2004)
First team since 2006 to lose three wickets for 0 runs in the first over	West Indies
Third-shortest all-out innings by overs	14.3 overs
Lowest match total without a fifty since 2015	No batter scored 50+ in the entire Test

📉 Worst figures — West Indies' darkest day

• All out in 14.3 overs — the third-shortest innings in Test cricket (in terms of overs).
• For the first time, seven batsmen were dismissed for duck in a Test innings.
• The top six batsmen scored just 6 runs in total — the lowest total by a top six batsman in Test cricket history.
• Just 170 runs in both innings of the match — the lowest total by West Indies in a Test match where they were both all out.
• The total score for the match was just 516 runs — the seventh-lowest combined score in a full men's Test match, and the lowest since 1910.
• Australia finished the match in just 1004 balls — making history in Test cricket.

Why It’s Remarkable for a Fast Bowler

Reaching 100 Test matches is a rare feat for any cricketer, but for a fast bowler, it's truly extraordinary. Fast bowling is physically grueling — it demands relentless pace, stamina, and repeated high-impact movements that often lead to injuries and shorten careers. That’s why Mitchell Starc’s achievement stands out: not only has he reached the 100-Test mark, but he has done so while consistently performing at the top level. His ability to maintain speed, swing, and accuracy over more than a decade reflects elite fitness, discipline, and resilience. Add to that his 400 wickets and historic match-winning spells, and Starc’s legacy as one of the modern game’s great fast bowlers is firmly cemented.

Conclusion

The third Test in Kingston between Australia and the West Indies was not just a match — it was a historic spectacle that will be remembered for generations. What began as a modest 204-run target turned into a ruthless exhibition of fast bowling mastery, led by Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.

Australia’s demolition of the West Indies for just 27 runs — the second-lowest total in Test history — highlighted the vast gulf in quality, mindset, and preparation between the two sides. Starc's record-breaking five-wicket haul in just 15 balls and Boland's hat-trick were not just personal milestones, but symbols of complete domination.

The day saw multiple records shattered, from the most ducks in an innings to the lowest top-order contribution in history. For West Indies, it was a humbling reminder of their ongoing struggles in Test cricket. For Australia, it was a proud moment of statement-making excellence, especially on the occasion of Starc’s 100th Test.

This wasn’t just a win — it was a masterclass in how to seize the moment, stamp authority, and etch your name into the annals of cricketing folklore.