Australia Vs Sri Lanka: Mitchell Starc completes 200 Test wickets, becomes 17th Australian to enter exclusive club

Brisbane, Jan 24: Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc became 17th bowler from his country to complete 200 Test wickets. The left-arm pacer bagged the wicket of Suranga Lakmal in the second session of the opening day of the series opener to reach the personal milestone at The Gabba here on Thursday (January 24).

Starc had bagged his maiden Test at this very venue seven years back. It took the 28-year-old speedster 50 Tests to reach the exclusive club.

Starc's strike rate of 51.2 is the second-best for any Australia pacer with 200 or more wickets. He's behind his former teammate Mitchell Johnson who had a strike rate of 51.1. Starc also levelled with legendary pacer Jeff Thomson, who claimed 200 scalps in Test cricket in 51 games.

Yessss!!! Can’t take them from you!!

— Alyssa Healy (@ahealy77) January 24, 2019

The ongoing Test match between Australia and Sri Lanka is a Day-Night Test. At the time of dinner on the opening day, the tourists were struggling at 120/8 in 50 overs. Debutante Jhye Richardson grabbed three wickets while Starc had two scalps to his name.

Congratulations @mstarc56 on your 200th Test wicket!#FBC

— Jason Gillespie 🌱🌈 (@dizzy259) January 24, 2019

Starc's pace partner Pat Cummins while talking about the Sydney Test against India had told cricket.com.au, "I think he's one of those bowlers the other team always has an eye out for, is always wary of because he just gets on a roll. Bowling 150kph, a left-armer, if there's a little bit of sideways movement it's hard for anyone, let alone a new batsman coming in.

200 Test wickets @mstarc56 congratulations, finish the tail brother 🤙🏼 https://t.co/kWq9440GWb

— Mitchell Johnson (@MitchJohnson398) January 24, 2019

"It's great having him in the team, you always feel like you're going to get a wicket out of nothing."

Starc's first victim in Test cricket was former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, while he has enjoyed the most success against four batsmen, claiming the wickets of Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne, India's Murali Vijay, and England pair Alastair Cook and Jonny Bairstow on six occasions each.

Starc mixed his length up in the first session as the Gabba pitch baked under the hot Brisbane sun, and was unlucky not to have removed Lahiru Thirimanne in the opening hour of play, after the left-hander was given out lbw only for a review to save the Sri Lankan; ball-tracking technology projected the delivery to be missing leg stump.