Mitchell Starc produced one of the most memorable all-round displays of this Ashes summer at the Gabba, scoring a powerful 77 and then returning to claim key wickets as Australia built a winning position against England. The left-arm quick’s unexpected but composed lower-order batting and incisive bowling swung momentum heavily in Australia’s favour in the day-night Test, leaving England chasing both runs and answers as the pink-ball contest tilted decisively toward the hosts.
Starc’s bat: a lower-order innings that changed the scoreboard
What made the performance stand out was the context: coming in with Australia already well placed, Starc refused to let the tail fizzle and instead shepherded a crucial partnership that extended Australia’s first-innings total to a commanding 511. His 77 was patient, gritty, and built at the right tempo — a knock that frustrated the England attack and added valuable runs that proved to be a match-turning buffer. That lower-order resilience, backed by good support from partners, helped Australia seize the psychological upper hand in the England vs Australia battle.
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AmazonBowling brilliance: strikes when it mattered
With the ball, Starc complemented his batting by producing incisive, attacking spells under the lights. He grabbed important wickets during England’s second innings, breaking partnerships and applying pressure that led to a dramatic collapse — England slid from a promising position to 134 for 6 by stumps, still trailing Australia’s total. Those breakthroughs under pressure exemplified why Starc remains one of the most feared strike bowlers in Test cricket.
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Impact on the Ashes and the Gabba Test
Beyond the single match, Starc’s all-round contribution has clear series ramifications. The Ashes — a contest where momentum is everything — now sees Australia closing in on a 2-0 advantage after a commanding performance in Brisbane. The Gabba Test will be remembered not only for a big scoreboard advantage but for how Starc’s dual contributions compounded England’s problems: runs added when the tail wagged and wickets taken when the chase began to unravel. Cricket writers and statisticians noted the rarity of such a day-night Test performance, placing Starc in an exclusive group of players who have made major contributions with both bat and ball in the same match.
Why this display matters
Mitchell Starc’s outing underscores a deeper truth about modern Test cricket: specialist bowlers who can bat — and do so meaningfully — add enormous strategic value. In an England vs Australia series where small margins decide big outcomes, Starc’s 77 and his seam-up wickets not only added runs and removed threats but fundamentally altered how the remainder of the match could be played. Australia now has runs in the bank and momentum in hand — two currencies that are hard to overthrow in a five-day contest.
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What England must fix
England’s batting display exposed vulnerabilities: wayward shot selection under scoreboard pressure, missed chances in the field and an inability to rebuild after quick wickets. Those soft edges and misreads allowed Australia’s bowlers — Starc among them — to seize the initiative. If England are to salvage the series, they will need a much stronger response in application and discipline in the next sessions at the Gabba.
Looking ahead
For Mitchell Starc personally, this innings further cements a return to the kind of match-winning form that makes him a nightmare for opposition lineups. For Australia, it reinforces the depth in their squad: when a frontline bowler can contribute a top batting performance and still deliver with the ball, the team’s options and resilience grow exponentially. The remainder of the Ashes series will be shaped by whether England can regroup — and whether Australia can convert this clear advantage into a series-clinching result.
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AmazonDisclaimer: This article is based on match reports and live coverage of the Gabba Test (England vs Australia) and summarises the performance of Mitchell Starc during the second Ashes Test. Match situations and statistics were taken from contemporary reporting at the time of writing; refer to official scorecards for ball-by-ball detail.
Source: Reuters match report — "Starc shines with bat and ball to push Australia to brink of Gabba win".
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