This display marked Starc’s 20th
A decisive spell at Newlands
The match appeared to be slipping away from Australia early on, as South African openers Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman put on 140 runs. Ackerman contributed 95 from 94 balls, while Markram added 78, leaving the tourists struggling to find a breakthrough. However, Starc’s intervention proved clinical, as he removed David Bedingham for 50 and Wiaan Mulder for a duck to halt the hosts' progress.
Even after a 95-run partnership between Marco Jansen and Ryan Rickelton threatened to restore South African dominance, Starc returned with the second new ball to clean up the tail. He accounted for Rickelton for 42 and bowled Jansen for 52, before wrapping up the innings by dismissing Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada with consecutive golden ducks. This late burst ensured South Africa lost four wickets in just six deliveries, cementing Starc’s best-ever Test figures against the Proteas, surpassing his previous high of 6/154 set in Perth in 2012.
Climbing the active rankings
Beyond his career milestone, Starc has now established himself as the leader among active fast bowlers for the most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket. With 20 such hauls, he moves ahead of Kagiso Rabada, who has 17, and Jasprit Bumrah, who sits on 16. The result of this third Test remains pivotal, with the series currently locked at 1-1, and Starc’s performance has provided Australia with a crucial opportunity to claim the series victory.
