AUS vs BAN: The Australian cricket team is set to play a two-Test series at home against Bangladesh. The series is scheduled to begin on August 13th and conclude on August 26th. Bangladesh will have a golden opportunity to win in Australia, but breaching Australia’s fortress in their own backyard will be difficult. In this series, Australia’s fast bowling lineup will be led by experienced left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc. Starc is set to wreak havoc on Bangladesh’s batsmen.
Mitchell Starc will have the opportunity to break a major record in this two-match series. Starc will have the chance to break a major record held by former Indian captain and fast bowler Kapil Dev. He could also surpass former South African pacer Dale Steyn. Which record will Starc break in this series and what will he need to do to achieve it? Let’s explore the details.
There’s plenty on the line for Mitchell Starc when Australia host Bangladesh in a two-match #WTC27 series this month 💥
— ICC (@ICC) August 5, 2026
Mitchell Starc can break Kapil Dev’s record
Mitchell Starc has taken a total of 433 wickets in Test cricket, while Kapil Dev has taken 434. Starc needs just two wickets to surpass him as the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. Starc will equal Kapil Dev with one wicket, and with the second wicket, he will surpass Kapil Dev.
Starc will also break this record of Dale Steyn
With this, Dale Steyn has taken 439 wickets in Test cricket. Mitchell Starc will need to take a total of 7 wickets in the Test series against Bangladesh to surpass him. By taking 8 wickets in this series, he will surpass Dale Steyn as the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Mitchell Starc preparing hard for upcoming Test series v Bangladesh. 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/7TWxfKasZA
— Maina Singh (@Maina_Singhx77) August 3, 2026
Mitchell Starc currently ranks 7th on the list of fast bowlers with the most wickets in red-ball cricket. If he surpasses both Kapil Dev and Dale Steyn in this series, he could become the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He is the only active player in the top 10 list of fast bowlers with the most Test wickets.
List of top 10 bowlers with most wickets in Test cricket
| Rank | Player | Country | match | wicket | 5 wickets | 10 wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Anderson | England | 188 | 704 | 32 | 3 |
| 2 | Stuart Broad | England | 167 | 604 | 20 | 3 |
| 3 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 124 | 563 | 29 | 3 |
| 4 | Courtney Walsh | West Indies | 132 | 519 | 22 | 3 |
| 5 | Dale Steyn | South Africa | 93 | 439 | 26 | 5 |
| 6 | Kapil Dev | India | 131 | 434 | 23 | 2 |
| 7 | Mitchell Starc* | Australia | 105 | 433 | 18 | 3 |
| 8 | Richard Hadlee | New Zealand | 86 | 431 | 36 | 9 |
| 9 | Sean Pollock | South Africa | 108 | 421 | 16 | 1 |
| 10 | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 104 | 414 | 25 | 5 |
Australia’s Test squad against Bangladesh
Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Bangladesh vs Australia Test series schedule
- First Test: 13–17 August, Darwin
- Second Test: 22–26 August, Mackay