5 wickets in 15 balls! Mitchell Starc creates record for the fastest five-wicket haul in test cricket

On his 100th test, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc created a record which would be very hard to break in future. During the second innings of the pink-ball test between West Indies and Australia in Kingston, Starc registered his 16th five-wicket haul in test cricket in just 15 balls. 

In doing that, he broke the record for the fastest five-wicket haul (from the start of bowling innings) in test cricket history, breaking Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad and Scott Boland's previous record of 19 balls.

Starc's record-breaking five-wicket haul in 15 balls

Here is how Mitchell Starc broke the record for the fastest five-wicket haul in test cricket history.

1st wicket: 1st ball - John Campbell

Starc dismissed John Campbell with a beautiful outswinger in the first ball of the second inning. The ball moved a bit, and it was enough to produce an edge to substitute wicket-keeper Josh Inglish.

2nd wicket: 5th ball - Kevlon Anderson

In the fifth ball of the first over, Kevlon Anderson left a delivery from Starc, who was able to make the ball come in sharply. The ball hit the pad, and the umpire was not hesitant to rule him out, as Kevlon Anderson did not offer any shot. Although he took the DRS, only to be proven wrong by the review. 

3rd wicket: 6th ball - Brandon King

It was a typical Mitchell Starc dismissal. Brandon King was bamboozled by a big inswinging delivery from Starc.

King went for a big drive through the long off region, but the ball came back sharply to go through his bat and pad and took an inside edge before hitting the stumps. 

Starc had three wickets in his and Australia's first over. 

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4th wicket: 13th ball - Mikyle Louis

Although West Indies batters were able to play out Starc's second over, the left-arm pacer struck in the first ball of his third over. 

Another big inswinging delivery at 142.4 kmph, and Mikyle Louis did not have any answer to that. Louis lounged into a big defence, but the ball came back in sharply and went on to hit the front of his back pad, in front of the middle. 

The right-handed batter did not even wait for the umpire's decision and started walking back.

That was Starc's 400th test wicket. He is only the second left-arm pacer ever to take 400 test wickets. Only Wasim Akram is ahead of him at the moment with 419 test wickets.

5th wicket: 15th ball - Shai Hope

Two balls later, Starc got Shai Hope out with the same formula. 

Hope did not know which way the ball was going and had his weight on the back foot. He was late before the inswinger hit his front pad.

Hope went for the DRS, only to know that the ball was crushing the middle of leg stump. 

After the 15th ball, Starc's bowling figure showed 2.3-2-2-5. 

Fastest five-wicket hauls (from the start of bowling innings) in test cricket