Here’s how star pacer emerged as Australia’s Most Valuable Player of the Ashes by consistently contributing with both ball and bat to help hosts take a 3-0 series-winning lead over England
Australia pacer Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of England’s Jofra Archer in Adelaide on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
1st Test: Perth
With the ball: Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc swung the opening match in Australia’s favour on the very first morning. The 35-year-old produced a devastating spell, claiming career-best figures of 7-58 in the first innings to dismiss England for just 172 on Day One. In the process, he also became the first left-arm fast bowler to claim 100 Ashes wickets. Starc followed this up with 3-55 in the second innings to finish with match figures of 10-113 and earn the Player of the Match award.
2nd Test: Brisbane
With the ball: Starc gave England an early blow, dismissing opener Ben Duckett for a duck in the first over itself. There was no stopping Starc thereafter as he went on to claim 6-75 to help the hosts dismiss England for 334. During the spell, he also surpassed Pakistan legend Wasim Akram (414) for the most wickets in Tests by a left-arm pacer. He finished the game with an impressive 8-139.
With the bat: Coming in at No. 9, Starc scored 77 off 141 balls as Australia took a huge 177-run lead. During his patient knock, the left-hander surpassed England’s Stuart Broad to score the most runs at No. 9 (1389 runs) and claimed the Player of the Match award in consecutive Tests.
Mitchell Starc after reaching his half-century on Day Two of the Adelaide Test on Thursday
3rd Test: Adelaide
With the bat: Walking in with Australia struggling at 271-7, Starc scored a defiant 54 off 75 balls to lift his team to 371 in the first innings. This was his 10th fifty-plus score batting at No. 9 or lower, making him the first player to achieve this feat in Tests.
With the ball: On Day Five, with England at 285-6 and appearing closer to chasing a world record target of 435 after a 91-run stand between Jamie Smith (60) and Will Jacks (47), Starc, who had claimed just one wicket in the match till then, delivered at the perfect time. The left-arm quick claimed the next three crucial wickets to finish with 3-62 and hand Australia a 3-0 series win.
One
Starc became the first left-arm pacer to claim more than 100 wickets in the Ashes. He reached this milestone during the opening Test in Perth
1469
Runs scored by Starc batting at No. 9 in Tests — the most by any player. He went past England’s Stuart Broad (1389)
424
No. of wickets claimed by Starc in Tests. He surpassed Pak legend Wasim Akram (414) for the most wickets by a left-arm quick
Mitchell Starc in the 2025-26 Ashes
Tests
3
Wickets
22
Runs
150
Five-wicket hauls
2
50s
2
7-58
Mitchell Starc’s career-best figures, recorded during the opening Test in Perth
51
Wickets claimed by Starc this year — the most by a player
10
No. of 50-plus scores by Starc batting at No. 9 or lower in Tests, the most by any player
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