Mitchell Starc fifth-fastest Australian bowler to take 250 Test wickets
Dec 27, 2020
Melbourne [Australia], December 27 : Pacer Mitchell Starc on Sunday became the fifth-fastest Australian bowler to take 250 wickets in the longest format of the game.
Starc achieved the feat in the ongoing second day of the Boxing Day Test against India here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Starc, in his 59th match, ended Pant's no so Test match type knock to claim his 250th wicket in the longest format of the game. Interestingly, Australian skipper Tim Paine took the catch and he became the fastest wicket-keeper to record 150 dismissals in Test cricket.
Dennis Lillee (48) is the fastest Australian to bag 250 wickets while Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (45) is the fastest bowler to achieve the feat. The off-spinner had eclipsed Lille's record in 2017.
Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have achieved a similar feat in 55 matches while former Australian bowler Mitchell Johnson took 57 games to bag 250 wickets.
In the ongoing Test against Australia, stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane held the fort with his half-century but Mitchell Starc dismissed Rishabh Pant tipping the second session slightly in favour of the hosts.
Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja have seen off some good bowling post-tea and have crossed Australia's first innings total.
On day one, with Paine winning the toss and batting first at the MCG, the hosts would have thought of putting on a decent score on the board. But led by Jasprit Bumrah (4/56), the Indians made short work of the Australian batting as they finished their first essay on 195.
