Peerless Starc enhances first-over reputation

Mitchell Starc's reputation as the deadliest new-ball bowler in ODIs has been enhanced with a phenomenal opening over that sent Jason Roy and Dawid Malan packing.

Starc had some good fortune in the second Dettol ODI in Sydney with the wicket of Roy who gloved a ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, but sent down a near unplayable delivery to remove Malan.

The two early scalps makes it 22 times that Starc has struck in the first over of an ODI innings, the most of any bowler in the format since the start of 2012. 

In that period, Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga (19), Pakistan's Mohammad Irfan (10) and England's James Anderson (nine) are the next best, but all three have retired from the format.

Perhaps the most famous of Starc's first-over wickets was that of Brendon McCullum with the third ball of the 2015 Men's ODI World Cup final in front of a packed MCG.

This match also marks the third time in his career he his nabbed two wickets in an innings' opening over, with all three coming against England (January 2015, September 2020 and November 2022). 

During the recent T20 World Cup Starc was relieved of his first-over duties following Australia's big loss to New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament, and eventually lost his place in the XI for the final match against Afghanistan.

But in other formats, Starc is still the man. 

In Tests, his 13 first-over wickets is more than anyone else since the beginning of 2014.

The most recent of those was the unforgettable around-the-legs dismissal of Rory Burns with the opening ball of the 2021-22 Ashes Series.

And in ODIs, he's as effective as ever throughout the first 10 overs of the innings.

Starc has taken 13 Powerplay wickets since the beginning of 2021, the joint-most of any player from a Test-playing country in that period (alongside Matt Henry and Dushmantha Chameera). 

Also notable is his ODI record against Roy, whom he has now dismissed seven times in the format. 

Starc has removed the England opener more than anyone else during his career, with Quinton de Kock, Jonny Bairstow and Umar Akmal next down the list having lost their wicket to Starc on four occasions each.

Men's Dettol ODI Series v England

1st ODI: Australia won by six wickets

Saturday Nov 19: SCG, 2:20pm

Tuesday Nov 22: MCG, 2:20pm

Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, James Vince, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Luke Wood

Buy #AUSvENG ODI tickets here