Mitchell Starc enters the 21st-century 30-wicket club, leading Australia to 4-1 Ashes glory.
4-1 Series Victory
Is Mitchell Starc no longer just a “rhythm” bowler? For years, critics argued that the left-armer was too erratic for the grueling demands of a five-match Test series.
That debate ended definitively at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. By the time Australia secured their 4-1 series victory, Starc hadn’t just led the attack—he had fundamentally redesigned the expectations for veteran pacers in the 21st century.
Mitchell Starc finished the 2025-26 Ashes series with a staggering 31 wickets across 10 innings. He wasn’t just prolific; he was surgical.
Maintaining a bowling average of 19.93, he became the highest wicket-taker of the summer, a feat that earned him the well-deserved Player of the Series award.
Joining the Century’s Elite
Picking up 30 wickets in a single Ashes series this century is a feat reserved for the icons of the game.
By crossing that threshold, Starc has entered a room that contains only four other names since the year 2000. He now stands alongside:
- Shane Warne: 40 wickets (2005) and 31 wickets (2001)
- Mitchell Johnson: 37 wickets (2013-14)
- Glenn McGrath: 32 wickets (2001)
The Burden of Leadership
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the context of the Australian dugout. For much of the series, Starc was the lone survivor of the “Big Three.”
With Pat Cummins only appearing in the Adelaide Test and Josh Hazlewood sidelined by injury, the responsibility of the new ball fell squarely on Starc’s shoulders.
He didn’t just carry the load; he thrived under it, leading a patchwork attack featuring Michael Neser and Scott Boland to dismantle the Ben Stokes-led English side.
The Reality of the “Starc Factor”
Common wisdom suggests that pace bowlers fade as a series reaches its fifth Test. However, Starc’s second-innings performance in Sydney—where he took 3/72 to help set up a modest target of 160—showed a bowler at the peak of his physical powers.
While Travis Head grabbed the headlines with over 600 runs, it was Mitchell Starc’s relentless consistency that prevented England from ever finding a foothold in the series outside of their lone victory in Melbourne.
Key Series Highlights:
- Early Dominance: Australia swept Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide with Starc providing the initial breakthroughs in almost every session.
- The average of 19.93: A statistical anomaly for a modern pacer, highlighting his control over the swinging ball.
- The Final Act: Securing the Sydney Test by five wickets to put a definitive stamp on the 4-1 scoreline.
As the dust settles on the SCG, Mitchell Starc’s legacy is no longer about potential or “bursts” of speed.
It is about a veteran who shouldered the weight of a nation’s bowling attack and walked into the history books.