Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc got Australia’s tails up despite setting a target of 200 in their opening ODI World Cup 2023 encounter. Starc dismissed Ishan Kishan for a golden duck in the first over of the innings to become the fastest to 50 wickets in ODI World Cup history in terms of balls bowled.
The previous record was held by Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga who took 1,187 deliveries to achieve the feat. Australia's left-arm pacer took 941 balls to do the same. He is also the fastest in terms of matches as he reached the milestone in his 19th World Cup appearance.
Starc also surpassed Chaminda Vaas' tally to become the fifth bowler in the history of the ODI World Cup to take 50 or more wickets. The list is led by Australia's Glenn McGrath with 71 wickets followed by Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (68 wickets), Malinga (56 wickets), and Wasim Akram (55 wickets).
Starc bowled a full and wide delivery outside off stump. Kishan went chasing but the swing got the better of him. He slashed the bat hard but got a thick outside edge which carried to slip fielder Cameron Green.
From the other end, Josh Hazlewood struck twice in his first over to get the wicket of Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer. This is the second time in ODI World Cups that the Indian openers have departed without scoring a single run. India were reduced to 2/3 in the second over.
Earlier, Starc walked in to bat when Australia were struggling for 140/7 in the 37th over. The left-handed batter shared crucial parnterships with Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa to take the score to 199. He scored 28 runs from 35 balls including two fours and a six. He was the last to depart in an attempt to clear the field against Mohammed Siraj.
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