After finishing on 299 after South Africa’s first innings, Starc produced a superb delivery which swung back into van der Dussen shortly before lunch and blasted through a huge gap between bat and pad.
“I’m not sure I’d get one wicket let alone 300,” Starc said on Thursday. “It has been an interesting but very enjoyable journey. Hopefully there is still something in it.”
Starc had entered the game with 296 scalps and despite a somewhat indifferent start to the first innings, he quickly added to his score as Dean Elgar went down the leg side with his glove.
He then ended South Africa’s recovery, which was brought about by a fifth wicket score of 98, when Temba Bavuma got a thin inside edge in his stumps against a delivery that bounced nicely. No. 299 came as Keshav Maharaj sent an edge low to second slip.
However, the landmark moment was postponed when Travis Head spilled a sharp short leg chance from Kagiso Rabada, only to be withdrawn from the attack before the innings ended.
Starc joins Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Nathan Lyon, Dennis Lillee, Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee on 300 test wickets. He comfortably has the best pass rate on that list at 49.5.
“He’s had a lot of ups and downs which I think only makes you stronger as a cricketer and as a person in general,” said former teammate Usman Khawaja. “He doesn’t listen to the white noise much. He knows what to do. He has a lot more skills now than before. He just tried to swing and when the ball stopped swinging, he really did.” he doesn’t have much else. Now he can swing it in, the wobble seam of the bowl, he’s got a lot more accuracy. “
Starc’s 100th wicket came against Sri Lanka in 2016 when he claimed Kusal Perera and his 200th against the same opponents, and also at the Gabba when he removed Suranga Lakmal in 2019.