In a display of sheer fast-bowling dominance, Mitchell Starc has propelled Australia to a decisive Ashes series victory while etching his name into the cricketing history books. The left-arm speedster delivered a remarkable all-round performance as Australia defeated England by 82 runs at the Adelaide Oval, securing an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
A Monumental All-Round Performance
The victory was built on the back of Starc's exceptional contributions with both ball and bat. In England's second innings, he returned figures of 3 for 62, adding to a wicket in the first. Crucially, with the bat, he registered a vital half-century in Australia's first innings, underlining his value as a genuine all-rounder in this form. At 35, Starc has been the undisputed standout bowler of the series, leading the wicket charts with 22 dismissals, including two five-wicket hauls.
Starc Enters the Record Books with Historic Strike-Rate
The Adelaide Test also saw Starc achieve a historic personal milestone. He became the only cricketer to claim 50 Test wickets in 2025, finishing the match with 51 scalps for the year. India’s Mohammed Siraj is second with 43 wickets, followed by Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani on 42, with all three having played 10 Tests this year.
However, what truly distinguishes Starc's achievement is the devastating efficiency with which he has taken those wickets. His strike-rate of 28.7 is now the best ever recorded in a single calendar year in Test cricket's 148-year history among bowlers with at least 50 wickets. In doing so, he broke the long-standing record held by Pakistan legend Waqar Younis, who took 55 wickets in 1993 at a strike-rate of 29.5. Starc and Waqar remain the only two bowlers to take 50 or more Test wickets in a year while striking at under 30.
The elite company Starc now keeps is highlighted by comparing his numbers to other modern greats:
- His strike-rate surpasses Jasprit Bumrah's 71 wickets at 30.1 in 2024.
- It is better than Gus Atkinson's 52 wickets at 35.6 in 2024.
- It outperforms Dale Steyn's 74 wickets at 35.8 in 2008.
Among the All-Time Greats
Starc's numbers are equally impressive when it comes to average. His average of 17.15 in 2025 is the eighth-best overall and the fifth-best among bowlers with 50 or more wickets in a year. Only legends like Imran Khan, Sydney Barnes, Jasprit Bumrah, Waqar Younis, Joel Garner, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Muttiah Muralitharan have recorded better figures.
The only bowler in history to combine a better strike-rate with a significant haul in a year remains England's George Lohmann, who took 38 wickets in 1886 at an extraordinary strike-rate of 18.0.
With one Test still to come in 2025—the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting Friday, December 26—Starc has the opportunity to push his record even further. While England will play for pride, valuable World Test Championship points are also at stake for Australia.
This season has clearly been the finest of Starc's Test career, surpassing his previous best in 2016 when he took 50 wickets at an average of 22.58 and a strike-rate of 39. His 2025 campaign now stands among the greatest ever produced by a fast bowler in the history of Test cricket.
