Starc secures his place in the pantheon of greats ahead of 100th Test

Think of Mitchell Starc and one thing probably comes into your mind: the booming inswinger, thundering into either the batter's pads, toes or stumps. But to reach 100 Tests, the club Starc will join at Sabina Park this week, as only the second Australian fast bowler ever, you must have much more than one calling card, even if it's as destructive as Starc's can be.

There is every chance the Jamaica Test turns into a double milestone for Starc: he is five wickets away from 400. Given his record in pink-ball matches - 74 wickets at 18.14 - few would bet against him, but even if he needs to wait a bit longer for the wickets, he will be just the eighth fast bowler to complete the 100 Test/400 wicket double.

Starc, who until 14 was a wicketkeeper, has been a colossal cricketer, marrying longevity with success across all three formats. It was the ODI game where he initially secured a legacy, removing Brendon McCullum in the opening over of the 2015 World Cup final at the MCG, and for a time it was possible to ponder how his Test career would be viewed, but the word great can sit comfortably alongside him. Where does he stand in an all-time Australia fast bowler's list? If Dennis Lillee and Glenn McGrath jostle for the top two, a case can easily be made to be among the top five.

"It's an incredible achievement," coach Andrew McDonald said. "You think of the surfaces we 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. His resilience, his planning, his preparation… and he's sacrificed a fair bit along the way as well.

"You look to some of the IPLs that he's missed to get his body right to play for Australia. He's put a lot of work into it. I'm really proud of him and he's getting his great reward for what he's given up and the way he's gone about it. All the plaudits that are coming his way this week he deserves."

Having made his Test debut in 2011 against New Zealand (McCullum was his first wicket), Starc has previously spoken about 2015 being the period when he started to feel he belonged in the format. He has maintained outstanding consistency with his average not rising above 30 since 2016.

That was the year he produced a prolific series in Sri Lanka with 24 wickets at 15.16, albeit where Australia lost 3-0. One of his most influential displays also came on the subcontinent. It won't sit among his biggest hauls, but the 4 for 33 he took against Pakistan in Lahore in 2022 broke the game open and set up Australia's historic series win.

There have been some periods of struggle, however, notably a couple of series against India in 2018-19 and 2020-21, while he only played one match of the 2019 Ashes in England when he was not considered an ideal fit for the Dukes ball. It's worth noting that the Test he played at Old Trafford, he helped secure victory to retain the Ashes. Oddly, he was left out of the next match at The Oval as Australia got too cute with their selections. He was also omitted for the opening match of the 2023 Ashes but went on to be the series leading wicket-taker and would be named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for his efforts.

The evolution of Starc's Test bowling in recent years has been significant. He has been a leading adopter of the "wobble seam" delivery, which has given him more wicket-taking options. He retains the lethal inswinger, but has a full set of tools at his disposal and when the ball reverses, there remain few better at taking advantage.

"As a younger bowler, it was all about speed and swing and getting the ball full," McDonald said. "If you look at the evolution of Mitchell Starc, it's his ability to hold line and length now. He can do any role you want. He's still got those full swinging deliveries, which we really encourage at the right time but he's able to hold length and control the scoreboard.

"I don't know how he'll age in terms of what he's been able to do across three formats, but I'd say arguably he's our best 50-over bowler that we've had in terms of his impact on games. You add that with 100 Test matches, 65 T20s and the impact he's had there. It's an incredible record."

Starc was termed "soft" early in his career by Shane Warne, who often remained one of his more vocal critics. For a while, he took notice of a lot of what was said about him, although latterly he has become confident enough in himself not to be affected. Ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes, his place in the team was questioned. He responded by removing Rory Burns with the first delivery of the series and since then has 140 wickets at 27.07. Two other times he has struck with the opening delivery of a Test, and on 20 occasions in the first over. It's not just a white-ball trick.

Against India last season, with Australia under immense pressure after their drubbing in Perth, he righted the ship with a career-best 6 for 48 in Adelaide. This year, he is averaging 20.86.

Since the start of the 2021-22 Ashes, he has bowled more overs than any quick in the world (currently 1.3 ahead of captain Pat Cummins) with only Prabath Jayasuriya and Nathan Lyon ahead of him. In Jamaica, he will bowl his 19,000th Test delivery. His fitness record stands out, but he has regularly bowled through the pain barrier: a broken finger against South Africa at the MCG in 2022, groin problems in the 2023 Ashes and a troublesome ankle at the backend of last season's India series, after which he went on to play as the lone specialist quick bowler in Sri Lanka.

It has been noted in recent days how, at the age of 35, his speeds are not dropping. "I can't fathom playing 100 games and keeping that kind of [145kph] speed," Cummins said. "He's just a warrior. Turns up every week and wants to play no matter what."

How much longer he goes remains to be seen, but completing this new World Test Championship [WTC] cycle certainly seems realistic. Then, perhaps, one last dart at winning an Ashes in England? But regardless of when Starc calls time, at what feels like a critical juncture in the game's history it is not outlandish to suggest there may not be another player - and almost certainly not an express quick - to have a career quite like his.