Mitchell Starc surpasses Kapil Dev as Australia face Bangladesh nightmare

Mitchell Starc has surpassed India's Kapil Dev as the all-time leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, marking a rare positive moment for Australia in their first Test against Bangladesh at Darwin. Starc equaled Kapil's record of 434 wickets after dismissing Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam on Thursday, and he surpassed it on the second day by dismissing wicketkeeper-batter Litton Das for a duck, bringing his tally to 435 wickets and placing him at 11th among the highest wicket-takers in Test cricket.

This milestone also cements Starc's status as the second-most successful Australian pace bowler in Test history, trailing only Glenn McGrath, who amassed 563 wickets. Starc is now just five wickets away from the top 10, currently led by South Africa's Dale Steyn with 439 wickets. Although Starc's individual achievements are noteworthy, they have come amidst a challenging period for Australia, who were dismissed for 198 on Day 1 and have been struggling to contain Bangladesh's batting response.

Bangladesh, however, capitalized on the favorable conditions, with Tanzid Hasan Tamim scoring a historic maiden Test century and the team closing Day 2 firmly in control at the Marrara Cricket Ground, with a 150-run lead over Australia.