After South Africa opted to field first, Starc unleashed a trademark inswinging delivery in his opening over that shattered Aiden Markram’s stumps for a golden duck. The left-arm quick finished Day 1 with a miserly spell of 2/10 from seven overs, reinforcing his reputation as a first-over destroyer
With this performance, Starc now has 11 wickets across five ICC finals, surpassing Mohammed Shami’s tally of 10 wickets in four finals. Starc’s wickets have come at an impressive average of 26.63 and an economy rate of 5.17, with best figures of 3/55 against India in the 2023 Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where his spell played a crucial role in Australia's title win
In contrast, Shami has taken 10 wickets at an average of 38.90 and an economy of 3.95, with his best effort, 4/76, coming in a losing cause during the 2021 WTC final against New Zealand
The latest haul also elevated Starc to joint-second on the list of most wickets in ICC knockout matches (semifinals and finals combined), alongside former India pacer Zaheer Khan, with 22 wickets at an average of 24.31
Starc now stands just one wicket behind legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who leads the chart with 23 wickets at an average of 23.39 and best figures of 4/31
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