Lethal Starc speeds into ODI history

Following his man-of-the-match display against England at the SCG on Friday, Mitchell Starc has become Australia’s most lethal one-day international bowler ever.

Starc’s 4-42 in the first Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series match included his 50th one-day scalp for Australia, and while he wasn’t the fastest man to reach the milestone in terms of matches, no-one has a better strike rate than the boy from Sydney’s western suburbs.

Starc took 4-42 in the opening ODI, including two wickets in the first over

Taking a wicket every 25.8 deliveries has Starc ahead of Australian legends Glenn McGrath, Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne.

Two of Australia’s fastest bowlers, Shaun Tait (27.2) and Brett Lee (29.4) share the podium with Starc, but the top spot belongs to the 24-year-old one-day wizard.

Image Id: ~/media/32258A2D477146A99BA7D165855F46BD

One man who narrowly misses the 50-wicket criteria is veteran Ryan Harris. The 35-year-old has played 21 one-day games for Australia, capturing 44 wickets at an average 18.90 and a strike rate of 23.4, which puts him top of the tree for those who have played 20 or more matches.

Image Id: ~/media/F09C97F067EE4F209A1DA138676F30B9

While Starc’s Test career has been sporadic, his limited-overs performances for Australia have been like his first ball on Friday: on the money.

“Of recent times I know my one-day game, I know my Twenty20 game,” Starc said.

“I know what I have to do and know my role really well for the team.

“It comes back to that confidence thing.

“I know my game really well with a white ball and I showed again tonight why I like to take the new ball and why I want to keep playing one-day cricket for Australia and keep doing well.”

Starc needed just one ball to remove England opener Ian Bell on his home turf in Sydney, delivering the perfect inswinger first ball of the match to trap his 50th ODI victim lbw.

And to prove it wasn’t a fluke, Starc dished up the same treatment two balls later to first-drop James Taylor for the same result.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said while watching Starc play in the KFC T20 Big Bash League that the left-armer has all the ingredients to be a dominant fast bowler, and on cue, he shattered the middle stump of South African legend Jacques Kallis.

And it’s bowling in the shortest format of the game that has invigorated the young pace ace after a disappointing performance in the second Commonwealth Bank Test against India at the Gabba.

“Coming off those two Big Bash games into that Sydney Test was good for me to get that confidence up with the white ball and going back to what I know best,” Starc said of a two-match stint in which he claimed 1-36 and 2-21, and clocked over 150kph on the speed gun.

“Going into that Test I was pretty happy with how I bowled.

“Then coming into this match getting the confidence with the white ball through the Big Bash was (like) going out there and playing another game today.”

Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad features four specialist fast bowlers in Starc, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazlewood and Patrick Cummins.

Johnson is certain to occupy one of potentially three specialist bowling spots, and if the Aussie selectors are looking for a strike weapon, they need to look no further than Australia’s deadliest.