Presenting Mitchell Starc's stellar numbers from Day-Night Tests: Stats
Team Australia has been phenomenal in Day/Night Tests, winning 11 out of their 12 pink-ball matches. Their only loss came against the West Indies at the Gabba earlier this year. The second Test against India on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval will be another chance for Australia to flaunt their prowess under the lights. Meanwhile, pacer Mitchell Starc has enjoyed operating with the pink ball. Here we decode his stats in Day-Night Tests.
Starc leads the wicket-taking charts
With his phenomenal bowling, Starc is currently the leading wicket-taker in pink-ball Tests. He has taken 66 wickets from only 12 matches at an average of 18.71, including three five-wicket hauls. The top four wicket-takers in this format are all Australians- Starc (66), Nathan Lyon (43), Josh Hazlewood (37), and Pat Cummins (34). As per ESPNcricinfo, no other bowler has taken more than 25 wickets in Day/Night Tests.
Three fifers in Day-Night Tests
Starc is the only bowler to have claimed more than two fifers in Day-Night Tests. His five-wicket hauls have come against Pakistan, New Zealand, and England. Notably, his tally also includes six four-wicket hauls. Meanwhile, Hazlewood, Pakistan's Yasir Shah, NZ's Trent Boult, and India's Axar Patel are the only other bowlers with multiple fifers in this regard (2 each).
50 Test wickets vs India
The series opener saw Starc become the eighth Aussie bowler to complete 50 Test scalps vs India. Having played 19 games against the team, Starc has scalped 51 wickets at 38.72. A bulk of his wickets against India, 38 to be precise, have come from 12 home Tests. However, he is yet to take a fifer against this opposition.
Starc's overall career achievements in Test cricket
Earlier this year, Starc became only the fifth Australian bowler to achieve 350 wickets in Test cricket. Having played 90 games, he has picked a total of 361 wickets at an average of 27.85. His career features 14 five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket match hauls. Only Shane Warne (708), Glenn McGrath (563), and Lyon (532) have more Test wickets than Starc for Australia.
Australia's victories in pink-ball Tests
Meanwhile, Australia's winning streak in Day/Night Tests includes wins over New Zealand (twice), South Africa, Pakistan (twice), England (thrice), Sri Lanka, India, and West Indies. Their only meeting with India in a pink-ball fixture saw the Aussies winning by eight wickets at Adelaide in 2020. Notably, all of Australia's 12 Day/Night Tests have been played on home soil, with seven of them at the Adelaide Oval.
