Mitchell Starc became another name in the list of legendary Test cricket bowlers on August 14, 2026. The left-arm speedster picked up the 435th Test wicket on the second day of Australia's first Test match against Bangladesh at Marrara Stadium, Darwin. Mitchell Starc bowled the final delivery that saw off Bangladesh's Litton Das for a duck to overtake the legendary Indian pacer Kapil Dev and move to the 11th position on the ICC Test wicket-takers chart.

It was the second consecutive day for Mitchell Starc to climb up the ladder as he surpassed Kapil Dev's record to take 435 wickets in his 106 Tests. On the opening day, the Australian seamer picked up the wicket of Bangladesh's Shadman Islam to take his haul of Test wickets to 434, equaling his Indian counterpart's tally. In his 131 Tests, Kapil Dev took 434 wickets between 1978 and 1994.

Mitchell Starc Closing in on Test Cricket's Top 10

Mitchell Starc has moved to within touching distance of an even more remarkable achievement. The left-arm quick took a five-wicket haul against Australia in the second Test to continue his rise up the all-time Test wicket-takers list.

The Aussie bowler currently has 435 wickets in Test matches, which puts him at 11th position. He is just five wickets away from the 10th spot held by Dale Steyn of South Africa with 439 wickets. Starc is expected to equal or break the all-time wickets list when he bowls against New Zealand this month.

The leg-spinner has now moved to second in the list of all-time Australian wicket-takers after surpassing captain Nathan Lyon. Glenn McGrath is first with a record of 563 wickets, followed by Shane Warne with 708 wickets. Lyon has 568 wickets in total compared to Starc's 435 wickets.

Starc should be applauded for his achievement considering he has bowled more than one hundred Test matches. The 31-year-old fast bowler has lasted longer at the highest level than many of his contemporaries like Kapil Dev, who took 106 Test matches to achieve the same feat.

Hasan Mahmud's Six-Wicket Haul Helps Bangladesh Continue Their Competitive Challenge

Although Starc stole the limelight for his 500th Test wicket, Mahmud of Bangladesh took a six-wicket haul against the Baggy Greens during the first innings.

The 26-year-old Bangladeshi seamer bowled a brilliant spell of 6/55 to bowl out Australia for a mere 198 runs. His six-wicket haul included the prized wickets of Australia's skipper Steve Smith who scored 71 runs and Travis Head.

Mahmud's efforts helped Bangladesh reduce the mighty Aussies to 198 in the first innings as the visitors posted a competitive first score.

Mahmud attributed his success against the Aussies to his county cricket experience with Kent in Britain. The Bangladesh quick bowler added that he had bowled a six-wicket haul when he played in Blackpool for Kent. Mahmud feels his success at the expense of the Aussies was a reward for his hard work.

“Yeah, I was in Kent in Blackpool and I got a 6-for as well. And I've really enjoyed it in Kent because the conditions looked similar in Australia and England as well,” Mahmud said. “Bowling with the new ball in these conditions gives me more confidence to swing it and get bounce.”

The Bangladesh leg-spinner appreciated himself for getting five wickets in challenging conditions away from home.

“Every five-for is important to me, and I'm very happy to get a five-for overseas,” Mahmud added.

Mahmud has proven to be a quality bowler who can produce remarkable performances in tough conditions overseas. In other words, he has more than proven himself as a legitimate pace bowler in Hashim Amla's team.

The second day in Darwin witnessed two monumental achievements as Starc climbed up the all-time Test wicket-takers chart while Mahmud took six wickets to bowl out Australia. The 31-year-old Aussie fast bowler has joined the exclusive club of cricketers who have notched more than 400 wickets in their Test career.

Starc has joined the likes of Kapil Dev (434 wickets), Steyn (439 wickets), Waheed (419 wickets), and Anil Kumble (419 wickets). He is only five wickets away from overtaking Steyn to claim the second spot in the all-time Test wicket-takers list. In the meantime, Mahmud's six-wicket haul has helped Bangladesh keep up with the challenge posed by the Baggy Greens in their first innings.