MACKAY, Australia — Australia vs Bangladesh 2nd Test: Bangladesh were left reeling at 35/6 after 21.1 overs against Australia on the opening morning of the second Test at Mackay on Saturday, with Mitchell Starc producing a devastating five-wicket spell to rip through the visitors’ top order.
- Bangladesh reached 35/6 after 21.1 overs after Australia elected to field first.
- Mitchell Starc claimed 5/11 from eight overs, including five maidens.
- Mushfiqur Rahim was dismissed for 5 by Pat Cummins, who took Bangladesh’s sixth wicket.
- Mehidy Hasan Miraz was unbeaten on 11, while Hasan Mahmud was 8 not out when the supplied live score stood at 35/6.
Bangladesh collapse after Starc strikes with first ball
Australia’s decision to field immediately paid dividends when Starc removed Shadman Islam with the first delivery of the match. Shadman attempted to work the ball through the leg side but was squared up by late movement, sending a leading edge towards Cameron Green at gully.
The dismissal was significant for Starc, who has now taken a Test wicket with the opening delivery on four occasions. Bangladesh were unable to recover from the early setback as Starc continued to exploit the movement available in the conditions.
Tanzid Hasan became Starc’s second victim at 9/2, edging a full delivery to third slip, where Beau Webster completed the catch after the umpires checked whether the ball had bounced before reaching the fielder.
Najmul Hossain Shanto followed almost immediately. The Bangladesh captain was trapped lbw for a golden duck by a delivery that moved back after pitching. Bangladesh reviewed the decision, but ball-tracking showed the delivery clipping leg stump and the on-field decision stood.
Starc five-for leaves Bangladesh in deep trouble
Starc completed his five-wicket haul by removing Mominul Haque and Litton Das. Mominul edged a wide delivery towards gully, where Green held another sharp low catch, while Litton was trapped lbw after attempting to play across the line.
The Litton dismissal came after Australia reviewed the original not-out decision. Ball-tracking showed the ball would have struck the leg stump, giving Starc his fifth wicket of the innings.
At that stage, Bangladesh were only 12/5. Starc’s figures stood at 8-5-11-5 in the supplied score, underlining the extent of his control with the new ball.
Mushfiqur Rahim falls as Australia keep pressure on
Bangladesh’s experienced batter Mushfiqur Rahim attempted to provide resistance alongside Mehidy Hasan Miraz. He faced 42 deliveries but could score only five runs before Pat Cummins broke through in the 15.3rd over.
Cummins delivered on the off-stump channel and generated enough movement to penetrate the gap between Rahim’s bat and pad. The ball crashed into the stumps, leaving Bangladesh 21/6.
Australia also reviewed a caught-behind appeal against Rahim earlier in the innings, but the review did not produce a wicket. The decisive moment eventually came when Cummins found the inside gap and removed Bangladesh’s most experienced remaining batter.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud resist
With Bangladesh six wickets down, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud were tasked with preventing an even earlier collapse. Mehidy remained unbeaten on 11 from 42 balls, while Hasan Mahmud was 8 not out from 18 balls when the score reached 35/6.
Mehidy struck one four and Hasan also found the boundary once. The pair added an unbeaten 14 runs from 33 deliveries according to the supplied live score, giving Bangladesh a brief period of stability after the top-order collapse.
Hasan Mahmud produced Bangladesh’s most recent boundary when he drove Starc down the ground in the 20.3rd over. He then took a single from the final delivery of the 21st over, leaving Bangladesh at 35/6 after 21.1 overs.
Australia’s bowling attack dominates the opening session
Starc finished his available spell with 8 overs, five maidens, 11 runs and five wickets. His economy rate was only 1.37, with 43 dot balls recorded in the scorecard.
Hazlewood also kept Bangladesh under pressure, conceding only nine runs from 5.1 overs while taking no wickets. Cummins bowled five overs for six runs and claimed the crucial wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim.
Beau Webster completed the Australian bowling figures available at the time, bowling three overs for eight runs. His contribution also included a catch in the gully during Starc’s five-wicket burst.
Bangladesh first-innings scorecard
| Batter | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadman Islam | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Tanzid Hasan | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mominul Haque | 9 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 56.25 |
| Najmul Hossain Shanto | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mushfiqur Rahim | 5 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 11.90 |
| Litton Das | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mehidy Hasan Miraz | 11* | 42 | 1 | 0 | 26.19 |
| Hasan Mahmud | 8* | 19 | 1 | 0 | 42.10 |
| Extras | 2 | 1 leg bye, 1 no-ball | |||
| Total | 35/6 | 21.1 overs | |||
Australia bowling figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Starc | 8 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 1.37 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 5.1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1.74 |
| Pat Cummins | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1.20 |
| Beau Webster | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2.66 |
Fall of wickets and match situation
Bangladesh lost Shadman Islam at 0, Tanzid Hasan at 9, Najmul Hossain Shanto at 9, Mominul Haque at 10, Litton Das at 12 and Mushfiqur Rahim at 21. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud were still at the crease when the supplied score reached 35/6.
Australia won the toss and chose to field first. The match is being played from August 22 to 26, 2026, at Mackay, with the opening day’s scheduled play beginning at 10:00 local time.
Australia’s playing XI is Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood.
Bangladesh still had Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam yet to bat when the supplied live score stood at 35/6. With 69 overs listed as remaining at that stage, the visitors’ immediate priority was to build a partnership and recover from the damage caused by Australia’s fast bowlers.
Praveen Yadav is the Founder and Content Creator of The Nation Bulletin, an independent digital news platform focused on delivering timely, reliable and meaningful news from India and around the world.
