Not Just Magician With the Ball! How Mitchell Starc's Ashes Batting Brilliance Left England Reeling

Mitchell Starc’s gritty 77 and a crucial 75-run stand with Scott Boland lifted Australia to 511, securing a 177-run lead on Day 3 of the Ashes 2025 Pink-Ball Test. His unexpected lower-order heroics stunned England and shifted the match’s momentum.

Australia veteran pacer Mitchell Starc displayed his resilience and brilliance with the bat on Day 3 of the ongoing Ashes 2025 Pink-Ball Test against England at the Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, December 12. Australia finished Day 2 of the second Ashes Test with a commanding posting, taking a 44-run lead over England’s first innings total of 334.

Resuming first innings at 378/6, with Alex Carey and Michael Neser batting on 46 and 15, respectively, Australia managed to go past the 500-run mark before being bundled out for 511 and took a commanding 177-run lead in the second session of Day 3.

Mitchell Starc was the star performer of the day for Australia, scoring a vital 77 off 141 balls, including 13 fours. Carey completed his fifty and scored 63 off 69 balls, Scott Boland also made a valuable contribution with an unbeaten innings of 21 off 72 balls.

For England, Jofra Archer was the standout bowler with figures of 1/87 at an economy rate of 3.50 in his spell of 25 overs. Brydon Carse had a forgettable outing as he picked four wickets but conceded 152 runs at an economy rate of 5.20 in 29 overs. Skipper Ben Stokes registered figures of 3/113 in 24 overs. Gus Atkinson (1/144) and Will Jacks (1/34) chipped in with a scalp each.

Starc’s Batting Brilliance Surprises England

Mitchell Starc lit up the Gabba with his batting masterclass that left England not only surprised but also struggling to contain Australia’s lead, as his defiant 77-run innings turned the tide, adding crucial runs in the lower order, and putting England on their back foot ahead of their second innings. Starc walked in to bat after Australia were at 383/7 after Michael Neser’s wicket and joined Alex Carey at the crease

Carey and Starc were building a partnership and took Australia past the 400–run mark with a crucial 31-run stand for the eighth wicket before the former’s dismissal at 416/8. At this stage, it looked like England would wrap up Australia’s innings until Mitchell Starc stole the spotlight with batting brilliance. The Australian pacer was joined by Scott Boland at the crease to carry the visitors’ innings.

Mitchell Starc took up the responsibility to anchor Australia’s innings, while Boland played as a second fiddle, providing solid support to his pace bowling partner. The 36-year-old was grinding out to steady Australia’s ship, while playing calculated innings to frustrate the England bowlers. At Tea break, Starc was batting on 46 before he completed his fifty in the second session.

Starc and Boland’s 75-run partnership for the ninth wicket put England on the back foot before Brydon Carse provided a breakthrough by dismissing Australia’s pace spearhead at 491/9. At the time of Mitchell Starc’s dismissal, Australia had already added crucial runs through lower-order contributions, and his innings had put the hosts under significant pressure.

After Starc’s dismissal, Boland was joined by Brendon Doggett at the crease, and the pair added 20 runs before Australia were eventually dismissed for 511, taking a 177-run lead.

How Starc’s Masterclass Left England Reeling?

England were apparently left surprised by Mitchell Starc’s batting as he was leaving no way to contain Australia’s lower-order surge, turning what seemed like a modest lead into a commanding position. England might have prepared Starc the bowler, but as a batter was ignored by the visiting team before the Pink-Ball Test.

Though Mitchell Starc is a pacer by trade, England should not have ignored the batting record of the Australian pacer. Before the Ashes 2025 Pink-Ball Test, Starc aggregated 2334 runs, including 12 fifties, at an average of 20.12 in 101. Following his 77-run innings, his Test tally rose to 2411 runs, including 13 fifties, at an average of 20.60. This showcases that Starc is not a pace spearhead but a valuable lower-order contributor.

Mitchell Starc’s batting seemingly rattled England, who were left scrambling to adjust their strategy, unable to contain the lower-order onslaught, and suddenly the visitors faced a much larger deficit than expected. Starc’s stay at the crease was posing a serious threat to England’s bowling attack, as his calculated stroke plays and stubborn resistance left them frustrated,

Australian pacer’s eventual dismissal by Brydon Carse, though a breakthrough for England, came after England had already inflicted significant damage, adding crucial lower-order runs that swung momentum firmly in Australia’s favour.

Netizens Left in Awe of Starc’s Lower-Order Resistance

Mitchell Starc’s resistance in the lower order has become a huge talking point as the fans and cricket enthusiasts were quite in awe of how the Australian pacer managed to stonewall England’s attack while scoring freely.

Taking to his X handle (formerly Twitter), the netizens lauded Mitchell Starc for his composure and temperament to steady Australia’s innings, while hailing his knock as one of the best in the history of the Ashes.

With his 77-run innings, Mitchell Starc has surpassed the former Stuart Record for the most runs while batting at No.9 in Tests. The Australian pacer has amassed 1,408 runs, including 8 fifties, at an average of 22.34 in 64 Tests and 77 innings. He broke Broad’s record of 1389 runs, including a century and three fifties, at an average of 19.84 in 67 matches while batting at no.9 in Tests.