Australia star seamer Mitchell Starc will need to clinch six wickets more in the fifth and final Ashes Test to bag a stunning feat. The 35-year-old has been in red-hot form against England and has already clinched 26 wickets in the series so far. He is now on the brink of becoming the highest wicket-takking left-arm bowler in the history of Test cricket.
Starc needs six more scalps to surpass former Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath on the list. The Australian currently has a total of 428 scalps under his belt from 104 Tests, including 18 five-wicket hauls and 20 four-wicket hauls. On the other hand, Herath had retired after racking 433 wickets in 93 Tests.
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Left-arm bowlers with the most wickets in Tests -
1. Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka) - 433 wickets
2. Mitchell Starc (Australia) - 428 wickets
3. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) - 414 wickets
4. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) - 362 wickets
5. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) - 355 wickets
Starc's stunning performance against England
Starc had made a phenomenal start to the Ashes series and had racked up 10 wickets in the opening Test held at the Optus stadium in Perth. He recorded figures of 7/58 and 3/55 in the first and second innings respectively and was even named the Player of the Match as Australia won the match by 8 wickets.
The seamer took the spotlight once again in the second Test held in Brisbane and took eight wickets during the match. He clicnhed six scalps in the first innings before chipping with two more in the second. Starc also contributed well with the bat and played a valiant knock of 77 as the Baggy Greens won once again by 8 wickets and he won his second consecutive Player of the Match award.
Starc aims to deliver in Sydney
Starc took four wickets each in the third and fourth Test respectively. He played a key role in Australia retaining the Ashes and will be looking to rack up more wickets in the fifth Test that will be played in Sydney from January 4. With the hosts having already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, it remains to be seen if England will be able to ride on the momentum created by their victory in Melbourne and finish the series on a strong note.