How appropriate that Mitchell Starc cements his name in Australian cricket history with an inswinging yorker, his signature delivery.
Full and at the stumps, Starc knocked over South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen on Sunday afternoon with an absolute peach that seamed viciously back through the gate and crashed into the pegs.
It was genuinely unplayable — Sir Donald himself wouldn’t have laid bat on it.
Watch Australia v South Africa. Every test match live and ad-break in play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
“Muttiah Muralitharan just texted him to say I’d be happy with the turn on that one,” former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe laughed on Fox Cricket.
The Gabba roared with delight as Starc was mobbed by his ecstatic teammates.
300 Test wickets — he becomes just the seventh Australian to pass the milestone, although nobody above him on the list boasts a better strike rate.
His status as one of cricket’s modern greats is no longer in question.
The 32-year-old will presumably leapfrog former teammates Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson on the all-time list next year — he only needs 14 wickets to climb into the top five — doing so while maintaining a lower bowling average than the duo.
In a few months, it’s entirely feasible that only two Australian pace bowlers will sit above Starc on the wicket-takers tally — Dennis Lillee and Glenn McGrath.
“It’s extremely hard to get one Test wicket,” Lee told foxsports.com.au.
“To take one Test wicket takes a phenomenal amount of dedication, experience, sacrifice. To get to 100 wickets is incredible, 200 amazing — 300 is a massive milestone. For me personally, I actually couldn’t believe it.
“It’s bloody hard work. It’s the toughest job in Test cricket to be a fast bowler, because you can cover anywhere from 12-17 kilometres a day, and you put your body through absolute hell.
“It’s relentless.”
Starc was made to wait for his 300th Test wicket — during South Africa’s first innings at the Gabba on Saturday, Travis Head juggled and dropped a chance at short leg off Kagiso Rabada, denying his teammate the landmark scalp.
MOST TEST WICKETS FOR AUSTRALIA
708 — Shane Warne
563 — Glenn McGrath
450 — Nathan Lyon
355 — Dennis Lillee
313 — Mitchell Johnson
310 — Brett Lee
300 — Mitchell Starc
It felt appropriate that Starc achieved the feat at the same venue he snared his first Test wicket.
Eleven years ago, the left-armer dismissed New Zealand opener Brendon McCullum with a short delivery that was slapped directly towards fellow debutant David Warner at point.
Starc played 14 Tests between 2011 and 2014, typically only sliding in the starting XI when Johnson, Ryan Harris or Peter Siddle were unavailable for selection.
The New South Welshman claimed 45 Test wickets at 36.22 during that period — respectable numbers for a young quick, but hardly earth-shattering.
He was subsequently branded by many as a white-ball specialist.
“With anyone when they burst on the scene, myself included, you’re trying to understand your game,” Lee explained.
“You’ve got that raw, natural talent, but then it’s trying to harness and direct your talent towards the end goal, and that’s to take wickets.
“He’s always had those attributes, he’s always had that ability to take wickets, but I think now he understands his game, he understands his body.
“Wrongly, he was pigeonholed to be a white-ball bowler, which is definitely not right.
“I reckon those journalists who have had a crack at Mitchell Starc saying that he can’t play the red-ball game, they can probably eat some humble pie when he goes past 300 wickets.”
READ MORE
TALKING POINTS: Adam Gilchrist 2.0 emerges
SPINNERS WREAK HAVOC: England’s 101-year first
Starc has become a mainstay of the Test team since the 2015 World Cup, combining with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon to form one of the most formidable attacks this century.
And he’s showing no signs of slowing down, recently indicating that Test cricket would always be the priority — if forced to sacrifice one of the formats, white-ball cricket would be the first to go.
“He’s blossomed into one of the best fast bowlers that’s going around currently,” Lee said.
“I hope he’s around for a long, long time. I hope he goes way past that 300 mark and gets up towards 400.
“There’s no reason why he can’t go past 355 if he plays a few more seasons.”
If Starc can muster another 11 wickets against the South Africans this summer, he should expect to find a bottle of champagne waiting for him in the dressing room.
“When Mitchell Johnson went past my records, I took down a bottle of champagne to say congratulations because I know the hard work he would have been through and all that dedication he would have done to achieve that,” Lee said.
“I was hoping he would go on to beat DK Lillee, but there are no guarantees in Test cricket, which is why you’ve got to cherish every single game.”
Rabada analyses Proteas bowling attack | 02:10
