On a memorable first day of the second Test of the Ashes 2025–26 at the Gabba, Australia’s left-arm pace spearhead Mitchell Starc etched his name deeper into cricket history. With the pink ball swinging under lights, Starc ripped through England’s order and, along the way, went past Wasim Akram's tally of 414 wickets to become the left-arm pacer with the most wickets in Test history.
Heading into Day 1, Starc was sitting just behind Wasim Akram, needing two wickets to overtake the legendary Pakistani’s tally of 414 Test wickets as a left-arm pacer. Meanwhile, Starc struck early in the match, rattling England’s top order and eventually nabbing three wickets to accomplish the milestone.
Left-arm pacers having the most wickets in Tests:
Mitchell Starc (Australia) - 415* wickets
Wasim Akram (Pakistan) - 414 wickets
Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) - 355 wickets
Trent Boult (New Zealand) - 317 wickets
Mitchell Johnson (Australia) - 313 wickets
Earlier, England decided to bat in the must-win encounter at the Gabba. Meanwhile, Australia, who are being led by Steve Smith in the absence of Pat Cummins, made two changes to the side, bringing in Michael Neser and Josh Inglis.