Mitchell Starc reaches MAJOR milestone in first ODI against Pakistan, joins Shane Warne in THIS elite list
New Delhi: Australian pacer Mitchell Starc showcased his brilliance in the first ODI against Pakistan, claiming the wickets of Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique with the new ball. These early breakthroughs propelled Starc to an elite club, joining Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath by reaching 101 ODI wickets on home soil. This milestone places Starc fifth on the list of Australian bowlers with the most ODI wickets at home.
Brett Lee leads Australia’s record for most ODI wickets at home, with 169 wickets in 94 matches. Glenn McGrath follows with 160 wickets in 95 matches, while Shane Warne holds third place with 134 wickets in 83 matches. Craig McDermott is fourth with 125 wickets in 88 matches.
Australia dominated the first ODI, reducing Pakistan to 124-6 by the 34th over. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were the only top-order players to put up some resistance, scoring 37 and 44 runs, respectively. Pakistan’s tour includes three ODIs and three T20Is against Australia.
Pakistan’s recent form across formats has been shaky, but their Test series victory over England has eased some pressure. A strong showing on the Australia tour could provide a substantial boost to their confidence and momentum moving forward.
Australia Squad for Pakistan series: Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan squad for Australia series: Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (captain/wicketkeeper), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi.