Stats: Is Mitchell Starc the Best First-Over Bowler in Test History?

Mitchell Starc is enjoying a remarkable run of form, having secured Player-of-the-Match awards in three consecutive Test matches, including two in the current Ashes series. Notably, he's taken at least six wickets in each of those three Tests and achieved new career-best figures in successive innings.

Starc's dominant spell began in Kingston during his 100th Test match in July. There, he claimed 6 wickets for 9 runs in the West Indies' second innings, including three wickets in the opening over.

He followed this up by dismissing Zak Crawley twice in the first Ashes Test in Perth, both times in the first over of each innings.

Although Crawley avoided this fate in the pink-ball Test in Brisbane, Ben Duckett wasn't so lucky, falling to the very first ball he faced in the match's opening over.

Across these three Tests, Starc has increased his total of first-over wickets in Test cricket to 26. He now trails only England's James Anderson, who leads the format with 29 first-over wickets. Before the Kingston Test, Starc was tied for second place with Glenn McGrath and Chaminda Vaas, each having 20 wickets taken in the first over of a Test innings.

Starc's statistics are particularly impressive considering he has had fewer opportunities to bowl the first over compared to some other bowlers. He has opened the bowling for Australia on 171 occasions, significantly fewer than Anderson's 292 for England. Vaas and McGrath also have a higher number of opening-over spells.