Overview:
Starc’s reliability has been impressive. The Sydney Test will be his 27th straight outing, and since the 2019 Ashes he has sat out only four of Australia’s 56 Tests.
Mitchell Starc’s continued presence has already set this Ashes summer apart. Heading into the Sydney Test, the left-arm pacer is closing in on a milestone that has eluded Australian fast bowlers for almost seven decades. Featuring in every Test across three consecutive home seasons now reads less like consistency and more like intent.
The SCG Test gives Mitchell Starc a chance to put the finishing touch on a standout Ashes series. With the urn already retained, Australia can seal a 4–1 result in Sydney. Injuries to Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon have left Starc to shoulder most of the workload.
He has responded in style, leading the series with 26 wickets at 17.42 while keeping England under constant pressure with an economy rate just over four. Starc has also contributed valuable lower-order runs, adding 151 at an average of 30.
Another impactful performance in Sydney could lift Starc’s campaign to an exceptional level. Picking up four more wickets would give him Australia’s biggest Ashes return since Mitchell Johnson’s 37-wicket series in 2013–14, with Pat Cummins’ 29 from 2019 already close at hand. Additional runs down the order could further strengthen his case as one of the finest all-round Ashes contributors in recent times.
Starc’s reliability has been impressive. The Sydney Test will be his 27th straight outing, and since the 2019 Ashes he has sat out only four of Australia’s 56 Tests. Such sustained fitness has led to growing belief within the Australian camp about the length of his remaining career.
Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald has also suggested that a place in the 2027 Ashes in England is not out of the question, even though Starc would be beyond 37 by then. “Traditionally, you’d say it’s unrealistic for a fast bowler to sustain that kind of workload. But when it comes to Mitchell Starc, I genuinely believe it can be done,” McDonald said.
“Our medical staff, along with the players and coaches, have worked extremely well together to manage workloads across different tours. With clear priority series and careful planning around them, there’s a pathway that could make it achievable,” he added.
Ray Lindwall was the last Australian quick to play a men’s Test at that age, doing so in 1960. With a busy schedule ahead featuring tours of India and England, a World Cup and a possible World Test Championship final, Starc’s form and fitness continue to secure his place in Australia’s plans.
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