Speed gun glitch: Mitchell Starc’s 176.5 km/h delivery not record-breaking

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc briefly set social media abuzz during the first One Day International (ODI) against India on Sunday after one of his deliveries was recorded at an astonishing 176.5 km/h.

The opening ball of Starc’s spell to India’s Rohit Sharma appeared to shatter Shoaib Akhtar’s long-standing world record for the fastest delivery in international cricket — 161.3 km/h — set during the 2003 World Cup. However, match officials quickly confirmed that the reading was inaccurate, attributing it to a malfunctioning speed gun.

Despite the confusion, Starc produced a fiery opening spell, removing Virat Kohli for a duck — the Indian batter’s first-ever in ODIs on Australian soil.

The left-arm pacer finished with figures of 1 for 22 in six overs, maintaining his reputation as one of cricket’s most potent new-ball bowlers.

Australia cruised to a seven-wicket win in the rain-affected 26-over match, chasing down India’s 137-run target in just 21.1 overs. Skipper Mitchell Marsh led the way with 46 off 52 deliveries, while Josh Philippe and Cooper Connolly provided steady support.

Earlier, India posted 136 for nine, with KL Rahul top-scoring with 38 from 31 balls, hitting two sixes and as many fours. India’s innings faltered early after Rohit Sharma fell for 8, followed by Kohli’s dismissal, leaving them struggling at 13 for 2 in the fourth over.

Starc’s delivery may not have set a new record, but the incident reignited discussion about pace measurement technology in international cricket — and reminded fans of the enduring benchmark set by Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar more than two decades ago.