Mitchell Starc’s Test journey from Gabba debut in 2011 to 441 wickets

Mitchell Starc made his Test debut for Australia against New Zealand at the Gabba in 2011, starting a career built on pace and swing. He has appeared in 107 Test matches and taken 441 wickets.

Starc developed from a young prospect into a frontline strike bowler through sustained pace, the ability to swing the new ball and produce reverse swing with the old ball. His left-arm sling action has been effective at troubling the outside edge early in innings, while his capacity to bowl yorkers and reverse-swing late in spells has kept him dangerous beyond the opening overs. His career has also been interrupted at various stages by injuries.

Since his debut, Starc has featured in 107 Test matches and has picked 441 wickets at an average of around 26, and a strike rate of 46.4 with a career economy of 3.43.

With the bat, Starc has accumulated 2497* runs in Tests and recorded 13 half-centuries. His best bowling in an innings is 7/58 and his best match figures are 11/94; across his Test career he has claimed 18 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket matches.

His best Test bowling figures of 7/58 came against England during the 2025-26 Ashes series, where he finished the series with 31 wickets at an average of 19.33, including two seven-wicket hauls.

Across all formats, Mitchell Starc has picked 767 international wickets in his career. He has won four ICC titles: two World Cups, a T20 World Cup and an ICC World Test Championship title.

He was one of the architects behind Australia’s recent success in the Ashes.