Mitchell Starc plays his 100th Test in Jamaica. Not even his wife will be there

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Kingston: Sabina Park may not be the Sydney Cricket Ground, but when Mitchell Starc steps out for his 100th Test match this week in Jamaica against the West Indies, it will certainly feel on brand.

If not for a late change to the schedule, Starc would have reached the milestone this summer at home in a blockbuster first Ashes Test – not that he will mind.

“I hope he twinges his calf and does it in Australia,” former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said jokingly on the Willow Talk Podcast this week. “It’s an amazing achievement … it’s extraordinary to play 100 Tests. I would have liked to see it in Australia, but it’s great.”

Starc has always worn the baggy green with immense pride, repeatedly prioritising Australian demands over IPL riches.

Australia was originally scheduled to play two Tests in the West Indies but a third was later added, meaning Starc will reach the milestone thousands of kilometres away from his family and friends.

Starc’s wife, Australia cricketer Alyssa Healy, said on the podcast she would not be able to make the trip to Kingston, but there will be no shortage of love this week for a much-adored great of Australian cricket who only needs five more wickets to reach another personal landmark.

“I don’t think he really minds where it’s played,” Healy said. “I want him to tick it off, get 400 wickets, and then go to the Ashes a legend.”

Three of his closest mates will be there with him on the field: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon – all integral members of one of Australia’s greatest attacks.

Australian bowlers Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.

Ahead of the third Test on Saturday (Sunday morning AEST), this masthead spoke to the trio – and coach Andrew McDonald – about Starc’s impact on the team and his imminent entry into an exclusive club: he’s just the second Australian fast bowler, after Glenn McGrath, and 16th Australian to play 100 Tests.

“I don’t think you’ll actually see that [commitment] again, especially in the next few generations,” Lyon said. “The amount of pride that Starcy puts on that baggy green is incredible.”

Australia captain Alyssa Healy will not be in Jamaica for her husband Mitchell Starc’s 100th Test.

The captain’s view

As one of Starc’s longest-serving teammates, Cummins knows better than anyone how difficult it is to play 100 Tests as a fast bowler. Cummins made his Test debut against South Africa a fortnight before Starc was given a baggy green against New Zealand in December 2011.

The NSW pair has bowled together for the best part of 15 years, and Cummins has the utmost respect for Starc’s resilience. So high is Starc’s standing in Cummins’ eyes, that he still gets the new ball over the skipper.

Australia’s captain Pat Cummins talks to bowler Mitchell Starc on day three of the first cricket Test match against West Indies at Kensington Stadium in Bridgetown, Barbados.

“We’ll come up with something [to celebrate]. It’s a huge effort,” Cummins, who has played 55 of his 70 Tests with Starc, said.

“It’s a pretty small crew that have played 100 Tests. He’s the second fast bowler, which is really rare and tough to do. Proud of him.

“He’s still bowling 145km/h at the end [of the recent Test against the West Indies]. I can’t fathom playing 100 games and keeping that kind of speed. He’s a warrior, turns up every week and just cracks on. He’s such a low-fuss kind of guy. All things going well, it’ll be a great week for him.”

Hazlewood: ‘It’s the late night physio sessions’

Hazlewood, a year younger than Starc, is another close friend and a constant presence in Australia’s attack. The pair has played 59 Tests together. Hazlewood, who debuted three years after Starc in Tests, reflected on the unseen side of Starc’s longevity – the mental and physical toll fast bowling takes on the body.

“One of the things I admire is the work ethic,” Hazlewood said. “Everyone just sees you play the games and don’t see much else. Being in his shoes as well, and being around it for so long, you see everything that goes into it. It’s the late night physio treatment sessions.

Josh Hazlewood of Australia celebrates a wicket with Mitchell Starc in January 2024.

“It’s a pretty amazing achievement to play 100 Tests. It’ll be awesome to be part of it.”

Asked if there was a spell or match that he vividly remembers Starc being at the peak of his powers, Hazlewood said: “I think you see snippets of it nearly every game. You know when he’s in your team, wickets can fall in a heap, whether it be up front, in the middle or the tail. If he gets the ball in hand and gets on a roll, he can go bang, bang, bang and turn the game on its head. No matter the conditions, no matter the opposition, no matter the situation, he can turn the game on its head in space with two overs.”

Lyon: Why Starc is special

Lyon, Australia’s most prolific off-spinner, has played in all but five of Starc’s 99 Tests. He has seen it all.

“How long have we got?” Lyon said. “I’ll be over the moon. I’ll probably get emotional seeing him play and go out there. I’ve seen the work and the injuries he’s been through. He’s basically the first picked in every Australian cricket team in my life.

“Starcy is special. He’s the ultimate professional in the way he prepares and also recovers. For him to be on the verge of 100 Test matches … and be the second fast bowler, I feel like that’s a phenomenal record.

“The number of times that he plays through pain or injury or soreness is phenomenal.”

Lyon is adamant Starc is still bowling as well as ever. This year, he’s averaging 20.86 with the ball.

“To be honest with you, I feel like over the last 12 months, it’s probably the best that Starcy’s ever bowled,” Lyon said.

Nathan Lyon celebrates with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.

“The rhythm that he bowled with in the World Test Championship final a couple of weeks ago was incredible viewing. Even when he’s not at his best, he finds a way. He’s just that competitor that you want to play with.”

A coach’s love

McDonald opened the batting against Starc in his final first-class match in 2014. Eleven years on, Starc is a stalwart in the team he coaches and selects.

“It’s an incredible achievement,” McDonald said.

“You think of the surfaces that they play on in Australia. They’re firm, they’re hard, they take their toll. There’s a reason why there’s only two that have ever done it for Australia. He’s sacrificed a fair bit along the way as well … some of the IPL that he’s missed to get his body right to play for Australia.

“Really proud of him. He should get all the plaudits this week that he deserves.”