Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc etched his name in the record books on the first day of the Brisbane Day-Night Test, becoming the highest wicket-taking left-arm pacer in Test cricket history. The milestone came as Joe Root anchored the English innings, scoring a determined ‘hundred’ – his 10th Test fifty on Australian soil.
Record-Breaking Wicket ::
Starc surpassed the legendary Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram’s tally of 414 Test wickets when he dismissed England’s attacking middle-order batsman Harry Brook (31 runs off 33 balls). Brook’s dismissal—a catch at slips while playing a drive—gave Starc his 415th Test wicket in his 102nd match (195th innings), eclipsing Akram’s record which was set over 104 Tests.
England’s Innings Progress::
England, who struggled early after losing two wickets for just 5 runs, staged a recovery largely thanks to a solid partnership between Zak Crawley and Joe Root.
Batsman Runs Balls status
Joe Root 68* N/A Batting
Zak Crawley 76 93 c Carey b Ness
Harry Brook 31 33 c slips b Starc
Ben Stokes 14* N/A Batting
At the end of the second session, England reached 196 for 4 in 47 overs.
First Session Score: 98/2 (24 overs) Second Session Runs: 98 (23 overs) Wickets Lost in Second Session: Crawley and Brook
Crawley’s ODI-style innings of 76 runs off 93 balls ended when he was caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Michael Ness, who claimed his first Test wicket in over three years.
Joe Root, initially shaky, settled in to score his 10th fifty in Australia, remaining unbeaten on 68*. He then joined captain Ben Stokes (14*) to see off the second session, though Stokes was dropped at slip off Scott Boland late in the day.
Brief Scores: England first innings: 196/4 (47 overs) (Root 68*, Crawley 76; Starc 3/36)
