Mitchell Starc is 36 years old, but he still looks very dangerous with the new ball in Test cricket. His left arm goes high, he takes long strides towards the crease, and he bowls at great speed. This forces the opening batsman to decide before he is fully ready.

On Saturday in Mackay, Starc needed only one ball to remind Bangladesh of that danger.

Australia had lost the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin by nine wickets. In the second Test, Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. Starc made an immediate impact by dismissing Shadman Islam with the first ball of the match. Shadman edged the ball, and Cameron Green took the catch at gully. It was Starc’s 28th wicket in the first over of a Test innings.

Even more impressively, it was the fourth time Starc had taken a wicket with the very first ball of a Test match. This made him the first bowler in Test history to achieve this record.

But Mitchell Starc was not finished. He took five wickets in only 22 balls and ended with 6/12, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 64.

The spell also took Starc to 441 Test wickets, moving past Dale Steyn’s 439 and into 10th place alone on the all-time Test wicket-takers’ list.

Mitchell Starc is just one wicket behind Anderson

Starc’s latest wicket in the first over has also brought him within one wicket of another big milestone.

That means Anderson’s record is now clearly within Starc’s reach. With just one more first-over wicket, Starc will equal the former England fast bowler’s total of 29.

This is more than just an interesting number. Taking a wicket in the first over needs pace, movement, accuracy and the ability to attack a batter before he gets enough time to understand the pitch and conditions. Starc has often used this early burst as one of his biggest strengths.

Mitchell Starc 28 first-over Test wickets

Here is the full list of Starc’s 28 first-over wickets, as per Cricket Australia’s Official Website. 

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Four times, four different moments of history

Of those 28 first-over wickets, only four have arrived with the first ball of the Test itself.

Starc had earlier shared the record of three first-ball Test wickets with West Indies fast bowler Pedro Collins. Shadman’s dismissal moved Starc to the top of the list on his own.

The Jaiswal episode makes it even better

One of the most interesting names on the list is Yashasvi Jaiswal.

During the Perth Test in 2024, Jaiswal was heard on the stump microphone telling Starc that his bowling was “too slow”. It became one of the most talked-about moments of that Test.

At Adelaide, Starc gave the perfect answer.

First ball. Wicket.

He bowled at around 140.4 kph, brought the ball back into Jaiswal and trapped him lbw for a golden duck. The earlier “too slow” comment immediately became part of the story around the dismissal.

But Starc was not done. In the third Test at Brisbane, Jaiswal again fell to him in the first over. This time, it came from the second ball. Jaiswal tried to flick the ball but was caught at short midwicket by Mitchell Marsh. The delivery was recorded at 139 kph.

So, in two Tests in a row, Starc dismissed Jaiswal in the opening over.

FIVE WICKETS IN 22 BALLS BY MITCHELL STARC. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/STxTq4wTFS

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 22, 2026

What makes Starc’s opening spell so dangerous?

The simple answer is pace, but pace alone does not explain why Starc has been so successful for so many years.

His biggest strength is the combination of many things. He is tall, bowls with his left arm, can regularly bowl at around 140 kph, and can make the new ball swing late. His release point creates a difficult angle for right-handed batters. He also attacks the stumps, which means even a small mistake from the batter can lead to a wicket.

The first ball of a Test is also a big mental weapon. Openers usually want time to settle down, play carefully and understand the conditions. Starc tries to take that time away from them straight away.

And amazingly, he is still doing it at 36.

The Australian fast bowler had already taken 433 Test wickets before this Bangladesh series. The ICC had noted that he was getting close to the Test wicket totals of Kapil Dev and Dale Steyn. He has now passed both of them — first Kapil’s 434 wickets and then Steyn’s 439 — to reach 441.

His performance in Mackay was another reminder that Starc is not relying only on his reputation. He took five wickets in just 22 balls, making it one of the fastest five-wicket spells in Test history. Only one of his own spells was faster: his amazing 15-ball five-wicket haul against the West Indies in 2025.

That is what makes Mitchell Starc so dangerous at this stage of his career. He may be 36, but the ball still brings the same threat: 140-plus pace, late movement and no guarantee that the opener will face a second ball.

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From 28 to 29 — and beyond

Starc’s 28th first-over wicket has now brought him very close to Anderson’s 29. His 441 Test wickets have already taken him past Steyn and into the top 10.

But the most impressive part is that these numbers are still growing.

Starc is no longer the young fast bowler who first arrived in Test cricket. He is now Australia’s experienced leader with the new ball, the bowler they trust when they need to change the game quickly.

In Mackay, Australia needed exactly that after Bangladesh shocked them in Darwin.

Starc delivered before the match had even properly started.

One ball.

One wicket.

History again.

What do you think? Will Mitchell Starc go past James Anderson’s record of taking a wicket in the first over 29 times? Comment your predictions below. 

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