New Delhi, July 18: ICC Hall of Famer and former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has reflected on a defining moment in Mitchell Starc’s early career, recalling a 2012 Test against India as the first time he saw the pace ace show signs of being “extra special.”
Ponting was in the Australian dressing room when a young Starc troubled Sachin Tendulkar with raw pace and steep bounce at the WACA. The fiery spell, which forced the legendary batter to fend one awkwardly to short leg, served as early proof that Starc had something extraordinary.
“When you could see that sort of pace and bounce, and have someone like Sachin not be able to cope with it, that was the reassurance for all of us that there was something special there,” Ponting said on the ICC Review.
A Legacy Etched in Fast Bowling History
Earlier this week, Starc reached 400 Test wickets in spectacular fashion, grabbing 6/9 against West Indies in Jamaica — his career-best figures — and doing so in just 15 deliveries, the second-fastest five-for in Test history.
Ponting said Starc’s career, which now includes over 725 international wickets, is a testament to his evolution and hunger to improve.
“He’s got better and better. Skill-wise and mentally, he understands his body and game better than ever,” Ponting remarked. “He’s added subtle skills like the wobble seam delivery, making his in-swing more potent.”
Starc’s Illustrious Resume
- 400+ Test wickets
- Two-time ODI World Cup winner (2015, 2023)
- T20 World Cup champion
- World Test Championship winner
At 6’5″, with speeds consistently in the high 140s and ability to swing the ball late, Starc was always seen as a potential great, Ponting added.
“Everyone who laid eyes on him as a youngster could tell he had the potential to play 100 Tests and take 400 or even 500 wickets.”
As the 35-year-old continues to dominate world cricket, Ponting believes Starc’s name is now firmly etched among Australia’s greatest fast bowlers.