Mitchell Starc becomes first Aussie pacer to take ten-wicket haul in Ashes Test in 24 years

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc recorded a memorable ten-wicket haul during the first Ashes Test against England at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Saturday (November 22, 2025).

After taking a devastating 7/58 in the first innings, the best-ever bowling figures at the Optus Stadium, Starc started from where he had left, dismissing Zak Crawley for another duck with a brilliant one-handed grab, showcasing his remarkable athleticism in his mid 30s. He also managed to get crucial wickets of stalwart Joe Root and English skipper Ben Stokes.

Starc is the first Aussie pacer to take a ten-wicket haul in Ashes Tests since 1990/91, when Craig McDermott produced figures of 11/157, which also came at Perth, though at the WACA Stadium during the final Test of the series, which Aussies won 3-0. After Bruce Reid, he is only the second left-arm pacer to have a ten-fer for Australia in Ashes. Bruce, who played 27 Tests for Australia from 1985-92 and took 113 wickets, produced figures of 13/148 in the second Melbourne Test way back in 1990 during the same aforementioned series in which McDermott has picked his ten-fer.

The 35-year-old also continued to maintain his dominance over two of England’s biggest stars, Ben Stokes and Joe Root.

Starc has dismissed Stokes in 11 times in Tests, having conceded just 191 runs in 309 balls at an average of 17.36. He also got the wicket of Root for the 10th time in Test cricket, having given away 349 runs in 639 balls against Root at an average of 34.90.