In an exciting match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on November 4, Australian bowler Mitchell Starc reached an important milestone by taking his 100th wicket in One Day Internationals (ODIs) at home. He dismissed Pakistan's Saim Ayub in the third over with a delivery that moved slightly away from the left-handed batsman. Ayub was surprised by the ball, leading to an inside edge that hit his stumps. This was the start of a great bowling performance by Starc.
Mitchell Starc went past the 100-wicket mark in Australia. He's bagged 243 wickets in ODIs so far with 9 five-wicket hauls🔥
— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) November 4, 2024
DYK❓ Starc bags a five-for every 14 innings in ODIs🤯#AUSvsPAK pic.twitter.com/zCkuoZk3Sj
Starc didn’t stop there; he took two more wickets, helping bowl Pakistan out for just 203 runs. The pitch at the MCG provided bounce, seam, and swing, and the Australian bowlers took full advantage of these conditions. With his three wickets in this match, Starc now has 102 wickets in ODIs at home, making him the fifth Australian bowler to achieve this. He passed Steve Waugh and also went ahead of legendary Indian captain Kapil Dev, who has 100 home ODI wickets.
Fun FACT: if mitchell starc takes 1 wicket in each 5 matches for next 49 matches, he'll still become fastest to 250 wickets in odi😳🤯
— SANJAY POONIA (@SANJAYPOONIA42) November 4, 2024
And people compare him with bumrah🤣 pic.twitter.com/Zb85sQAXBw
Starc's achievement places him among the best bowlers in ODI cricket. The record for the most home ODI wickets is held by South Africa’s Shaun Pollock with 193, followed by Shakib Al Hasan with 183 and Australia’s Brett Lee. In total, Starc has taken 244 wickets in ODIs, and he is just four wickets away from surpassing Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar and ten from passing Kapil Dev's total.
Despite Australia’s strong position in the match, things became tense when Pakistan’s Haris Rauf took three wickets. Australia was on track to win with a good partnership between Steve Smith and Josh Inglis, but Rauf broke their 85-run stand. After losing four wickets for only 26 runs, Australia still needed more than 50 runs to win, making the game even more exciting.
Mitchell Starc gets his 12th ODI Man of the Match.
— KKR Vibe (@KnightsVibe) November 4, 2024
MOST BY ANY BOWLER IN THIS GENERATION 🫡 pic.twitter.com/DNPuhk39LF
Mitchell Starc's outstanding performance showcased his talent as a bowler and set the stage for a thrilling contest between Australia and Pakistan. As the series continues, cricket fans can look forward to more exciting moments and achievements from Starc and the Australian team.