SL vs AUS 1st Test: Mitchell Starc notches up 700th international wickets on 35th birthday | Cricket News
Mitchell Starc on Thursday notched up his 700th international wicket after snapping up Dimuth Karunaratne in the second day of the 1st Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Galle.
Starc, who turned 35 on Thursday, now has 377 wickets in the longest format, 244 in the ODIs and 79 scalps in T20Is.
This latest milestone puts him 4th in the l of Australia’s highest wicket-takers behind Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee.
A juggling catch McSweeney at gully 🔥
Starc gets Karunaratne and Australia have two early ones! #SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/FWH8w9IXeh
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 30, 2025
In the match, Australia posted 654 runs with the help of Usman Khawaja’s double century and centuries from Steve Smith and Josh Inglis.
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In reply, Sri Lanka have already lost 3 wickets for 44 runs at the end of the 2nd day’s play with Oshada Fernando, Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews all back in the hut with single digit scores.
On Day1, Smith etched his name in the record books becoming only the 15th player in hory – and the fourth Australian – to surpass 10,000 Test runs, joining the elite company of Allan Border, Steve Waugh, and Ricky Ponting. Walking in with 9,999 runs to his name, he nudged a single off Prabath Jayasuriya to reach the milestone.
“I was at the other end when Smith got out in Sydney and I was geared up to celebrate and it was devastating,” Khawaja had said on Wednesday. “I just really gave a big hug and said you are an absolute legend and you get to 10,000 runs once and enjoy.”
Sri Lanka had a golden chance to remove Smith early, but Jayasuriya spilled a return catch – an error that proved costly. The Australian stand-in captain made him pay, hammering an unbeaten 104, laced with 10 boundaries and a six, while forging a mammoth 195-run unbroken stand with Khawaja for the third wicket.
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A victory in this test would be enough for Australia to retain the Warne–Murali Trophy.
(With agency inputs)
