Last Updated on 4 months ago by Charbel Coorey

Give him the man of the series award, now. Mitchell Starc had another magnificent day in the 2025/26 Ashes series, but this time his bat did most of the talking.

Australia, having started day three of the Gabba Test at 378/6, faced the prospect of bowling under the hot Brisbane sun in the third innings after some reckless batting on the second night. However, Starc headlined Australia’s best and most clinical day of the series so far, grinding England into the ground in a magnificent display of grit and patience to enable the hosts to start bowling at Ben Stokes’ team under lights.

In contrast to some of Australia’s wild batting on day two, Starc combined with Scott Boland (21* off 72 balls) for a patient, dogged 75-run stand that flattened the visitors. Australia’s number nine was in no mood to fall for England’s inexplicable short ball obsession, ducking and weaving with ease as the miles in the England bowlers’ legs continued to climb. Then, as was the case all innings, England’s attack strayed off line, and Starc pounced when the opportuniities presented themselves.

As Alex Carey, Starc and Boland wore England down, there were views from some corners that the Gabba pitch was very flat. But, Stokes himself found seam movement even with the old ball, and there were moments of uneven bounce. England, though, were nowhere near good enough to make full use of what was on offer, straying off their lines and lengths with alarming regularity.

Fans in awe as Mitchell Starc delivers magnificent all-round performance on day 3 of 2nd Ashes Test

Starc faced 141 deliveries in the Brisbane heat and humidity after taking 6/75 in the first innings. He eventually holed out to Ben Stokes at deep mid off and walked off to a standing ovation.

If that wasn’t enough, Starc produced a magnificent spell with the ball late in the day despite looking utterly exhausted. The left-armer understandably started England’s second innings a little flat, but by the time he found his rhythm, he took the crucial wicket of Joe Root to continue England’s decline into the abyss.

In contrast to his opponents who looked exhausted after a spell, Starc kept his speeds up, clocking well over 140km/h per hour even on the final delivery of the day.

Fans were in awe of Starc’s performance, taking to social media to express their views. “Starc is bowling 145kph/90mph in the final over of a day in which he has batted for 141 balls and then bowled another 12 overs. Just an incredible bowler,” one wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“Mitchell Starc could skip the next three games and still be player of the series. He has been absolutely wonderful”, wrote another.

England started their second innings brightly, reaching 45/0 in the six overs before tea. However, Australia quickly got their act together after the break, honing in on their lines and lengths on a pitch offering movement plus up and down bounce.

Scott Boland dismissed Ben Duckett with one that stayed low. Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope looked promising, but gave the feeling a mistake wasn’t too far away. Both were out in almost identical fashion, inexplicably caught and bowled by Michael Neser after attempting those fatal drives on the up.

That period of play began a procession. Joe Root, who scored an elusive first Test hundred in Australia earlier in the match, was caught behind for 15 off the bowling of Starc. Brook and Smith soon nicked behind, and England were left on the mat, fighting for every breath in an Ashes series that is already slipping away quickly.

England will enter day four 134/6, still trailing by 43 runs. With all four of Australia’s frontline seamers in good rhythm, England need a miracle (or rain) to get out of the Gabba without a defeat, especially as they have lost a wicket every 29 deliveries in this series.