Starc is five wickets away from becoming the fourth Australian to achieve the feat

Melbourne: Taking on Australia in the fourth Test of the series on the Boxing Day Test, they will have to be wary of deadly left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, who has not only been in the best form in the series but is also close to a match. A big milestone, reported ESPNCricinfo.

With the series tied at 1-1 with two matches remaining, the onus is on the bowler to take 20 wickets and prevent the batting side from reaching a big score. In the three Tests so far, Starc has taken 14 wickets at an average of 22.85, including a spell of 6/48 in the pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval that stunned India. He is the second highest run scorer in the series so far.

The 34-year-old left-armer is just five runs away from completing 700 international wickets and will become the fourth Australian bowler after spinner Shane Warne (1,000 scalps), Glenn McGrath (949 scalps) and Brett Lee (718 scalps). To achieve this milestone.

In 284 international matches, Starc has taken 695 scalps at an average of 25.67, with best figures of 6/28 and 24 five-wicket hauls to his name.

Test cricket is his best format, taking 372 scalps in 92 matches at an average of 27.55, with best figures of 6/48 and 15 five-wicket hauls. He is Australia’s fourth highest wicket-taker in this format.

In 127 ODIs, he took 244 scalps at an average of 23.40, with best figures of 6/28. He has taken nine five wickets in the format. Even in this format, Starc is Australia’s fourth highest wicket-taker.

In 65 T20Is, he took 79 scalps at an average of 23.81, with best figures of 4/20. He is the second highest wicket-taker for Australia in this format, behind spinner Adam Zampa (117).

Starc’s wicket has led Australia to some big Test wins, two ICC Cricket World Cups in 2015 and 2023, the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup and last year’s ICC World Test Championship match.

Starc is one wicket away from completing 100 international wickets against India, becoming the third Australian besides Lyon and Lee and 14th overall. In 45 matches he has taken 99 wickets against India at an average of 33.51 with best figures of 6/51. He has taken three five wickets against India. England’s James Anderson has taken the most international wickets against India with 189 wickets in 72 matches. For Australia it’s Lyon with 128 scalps in 38 games.

Australia 11: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India squad for 4th and 5th Test: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Iswaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Md. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasid Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish K