Mitchell Johnson: Humble Mitchell Starc sits very comfortably alongside Pakistan great Wasim Akram

There’s something almost poetic about Mitchell Starc becoming the most successful left-arm fast bowler in Test history.

He passes Wasim Akram, a name that sits in rare air, and what does he do when asked about it? He throws the crown straight back at Wasim and calls him the GOAT. And the thing is … he genuinely means it.

That humility is real. But if you asked a few of his teammates quietly, they might tell you Starcy has built a case that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the great Pakistani lefty. Maybe even edges him in pure match-winning impact.

Starc’s career has had layers. He’s always been a white-ball destroyer, but it’s the growth in his Test cricket over the past five or six years that shines.

He’s become more reliable, more consistent, more willing to take the hard overs when the ball is soft, the pitch is flat, and nobody else is taking a wicket. And already in this series, we’re seeing exactly why he remains one of the most important cogs in Australia’s attack.

Australia went bold and left out Nathan Lyon for the second Test, rolling with four quicks. But Starc did what Starc does, a wicket in the first over, almost by muscle memory now.

More importantly, he stood up again with the pink ball. You could argue the Gabba has been good to bat on through the first three days, and while there were moments where the bowling unit showed signs, they didn’t quite go with Starc.

England know about loose starts; their opening burst in Australia’s first innings was either too short and wide or floated up half-volley length. Australia weren’t much better early.

Joe Root, as I said before the series, is the key to England’s batting. Batting at four suits him. It forces him into more traditional Test cricket, earns him the right to expand later, and it makes the Aussie quicks bowl spell after spell just to wear him down. His century in the first innings was proper Test batting, no shortcuts, and no shortcuts for the bowlers either.

And we saw some real potential in the Aussie batting. Jake Weatherall showed why he could be a permanent opener. He got himself into a good position to go on with it, and it’s these moments he will learn and get better from.

The big narrative around this pink ball has been how soft it gets around the 30-over mark. It can be like bowling with a sponge. But while the ball softened, Root dug in, and so did Starc. That’s where you separate the good from the elite. When nothing is happening, Starc still finds something.

Then there was Lyon. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about being left out, and fair enough. His bowling at the Gabba is excellent, and he enjoys the bounce there, which he has made the most of, and he’s earned the right to believe he should be picked.

But his interview on Channel 7 on the first day didn’t read particularly well. Disappointment is human, and I actually like seeing players care, but it teetered on the edge of looking like he wasn’t fully team-first in that moment. He did say he’d do his 12th-man duties with everything he’s got, and I don’t doubt that.

But the emotion was sitting front row, and that’s the tricky thing about playing at the top level when you believe you are the best person for the job, the emotions after being told are laid bare.

I used to get angry, frustrated, disappointed when selection calls went against me, but also happy for my mate who got the nod ahead of me because you do want the best for the team, while still thinking I was the best bowler for the job. But after I cooled off, I was prepared to do anything my teammates needed me to do.

Here’s the thing: before seeing the pitch, I had Lyon out of the XI as well. But then we all saw the pitch on the morning of day one. Three millimetres of grass. Barely any live coverage. Suddenly, variation would’ve been handy.

Lyon’s subtle changes, speed, shape, and drift would’ve added something Australia ended up missing at times, and it would have helped with the appalling over-rate, which needs to be addressed in world cricket because the current fines aren’t working.

But let’s circle back to Starc, because while the selection debate rolls on, he’s the one anchoring this whole story. Passing Wasim is massive in itself, but he’s now hunting Terry Alderman’s Ashes tally as well.

And he’s doing it without Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins beside him. That’s the part people sometimes miss. Starc is showing he can lead this attack on his own terms, not just as the wildcard in a world-class trio.

This summer is long, and the schedule doesn’t give much breathing room. Starc needs support. More importantly, he needs to stay fit. Because when Starc is fit and firing, Australia feel a yard taller.

He’s not just breaking records, he’s shaping the story of this Ashes. And with every swinging, searing, first-over wicket, he reminds us why left-arm fast bowling is a must in a bowling unit - even if he’s too humble to say it.