Australia’s Mitchell Starc calls 2023 Ashes ‘my most special’ series

Mitchell Starc after being named the Australia player of the series. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Mitchell Starc, twice an Ashes winner and veteran now of six series against England, declared this “the most entertaining and the most special Ashes series I’ve been a part of” despite the disappointment of a last-day defeat at the Oval that denied him the chance of winning the urn on foreign soil for the first time.

“This has been the closest, most exciting and no doubt most watched series I’ve been a part of,” said Starc, who finished the series as the top wicket-taker with 23.

“It’s been a really special couple of months and I’m sure everyone will reflect on that differently but will have a similar sentiment. The ebbs and flows of this series have been incredible to be a part of.”

After drawing a second successive away Ashes 2-2 Australia have lost just one of their past eight Test series, a run dating back to the end of 2020, and they return home with one major trophy having started this tour by defeating India to win the World Test Championship final at the Oval in June.

“I think because we’ve had a lot of success the bar gets raised a bit, so coming here and retaining the Ashes feels a little bit of a missed opportunity,” Pat Cummins, the Australia captain, said. “But in 2019 we were all pretty happy about retaining the Ashes.

“I don’t think we should lose sight of that – I think it’s a huge achievement to come here and get ourselves into so many winning positions. We just missed what we came over here to achieve but it’s been a pretty successful tour.”

Pat Cummins proudly shows off the urn after the fifth Test. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Cummins admitted that he “for sure” has regrets about moments he might have approached differently, given how close his side came to clinching outright victory having taken a 2-0 lead after the first two games of the series.

“You never know if they would change anything, there’s too many unknowns,” the captain said.

“I think in Manchester we were outplayed but all the other four matches were pretty even, right to the end. It was just one of those series where every game was really close. I was a bit young for 2005 but that series gets talked about a lot, and it feels like this one might be the same.”