Mitchell Starc Becomes Fastest to 450 Test Wickets by Balls Bowled

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc reached 450 Test wickets during the second Test against South Africa, becoming the fastest bowler to reach the milestone in terms of balls bowled.

Starc achieved the feat on Tuesday by dismissing South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder with a short delivery on the final ball of the 50th over.

The left-arm pacer took 20,577 balls to claim his 450th Test wicket, breaking the record held by Australian great Glenn McGrath, who reached the mark in 23,474 balls.

However, Starc is not among the fastest bowlers to reach 450 Test wickets by the number of matches played. He took 109 matches to reach the milestone, while Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record with 80 matches. India’s Ravichandran Ashwin reached the mark in 89 matches, followed by Anil Kumble in 93.

Starc has also moved into fourth place on Australia’s all-time list of leading Test wicket-takers. Shane Warne tops the list with 708 wickets, followed by Nathan Lyon with 573 and McGrath with 563. Starc now has 450 wickets, moving ahead of Dennis Lillee’s 355.

The milestone adds to Starc’s impressive run in Test cricket. He claimed 31 wickets in five Ashes Tests at the start of 2026 and briefly reached the top spot in the ICC Test bowling rankings, moving ahead of India’s Jasprit Bumrah.

Before the second Test against South Africa, Starc had taken 21 wickets in five Tests at an average of 20.62. With Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood sidelined by injuries, Starc has taken on greater responsibility in Australia’s pace attack.

Starc has also been effective in limited-overs cricket. He has taken 247 wickets in 132 ODIs at an average of 23.96, along with 79 wickets in 65 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.74.

Meanwhile, a media report has suggested that Starc is uncertain to play in IPL 2027. However, this update remains unconfirmed.