Mitchell Starc, Shoriful Head 18-Wicket Day in Mackay

Mackay, Australia — The Australia vs Bangladesh 2nd Test began with a remarkable 18-wicket opening day in Mackay, where Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam produced matching six-wicket hauls in a dramatic contest dominated by the ball. Bangladesh were dismissed for 64 before Australia reached 165/8 at stumps, giving the hosts a 101-run lead.

• Key Highlights:
• Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in only 34 overs.
• Mitchell Starc took 6/12 and moved past Dale Steyn’s 439 Test wickets.
• Shoriful Islam claimed 6/35 as Australia slipped from 118/4 to 148/8.
• Cameron Green remained unbeaten on 51 after Australia’s late collapse.
• Steven Smith scored 42 in a 77-run fourth-wicket partnership with Green.

Starc Tears Through Bangladesh’s Top Order

Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl, and the decision immediately paid dividends. Starc struck with the opening delivery of the match, dismissing Shadman Islam at gully and setting the tone for a relentless Australian bowling performance.

Bangladesh’s top order struggled badly against Starc’s pace, movement and accuracy. Four of the top six batters failed to score, while Bangladesh slumped to 12/5 inside seven overs.

Starc had already removed five batters in only 22 balls before Mushfiqur Rahim provided some resistance. The experienced batter’s stay at the crease helped Bangladesh avoid an even more rapid collapse.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud offered further resistance during the first session, taking Bangladesh to 35/6 at lunch. But Australia’s attack resumed its pressure after the interval, with Cummins adding two more wickets and Josh Hazlewood claiming one.

Starc returned to complete the innings and dismissed Shoriful Islam for 14, finishing with extraordinary figures of 6/12 from 10 overs. The haul also took Starc past Dale Steyn’s tally of 439 Test wickets.

Bangladesh Avoid Their Lowest Test Total

Bangladesh were bowled out for 64 in 34 overs, leaving their batting innings completed less than an hour into the second session.

The lower order prevented the total from becoming an even heavier embarrassment. Shoriful Islam top-scored for Bangladesh with 14, while Taijul Islam remained unbeaten on 11. Mehidy Hasan Miraz also contributed 11 and Hasan Mahmud made 10.

The total was Bangladesh’s fourth-lowest in Test cricket. Their lowest score remains 43 against West Indies, while the 64 in Mackay left them with a small but important statistical distinction: they avoided matching their all-time lowest total.

Smith and Green Build Australia’s Recovery

Australia’s response initially looked far more comfortable. Matt Renshaw, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne all fell early, but Steven Smith and Cameron Green steadied the innings.

The pair added 77 runs for the fourth wicket from 108 balls. Their partnership changed the rhythm of Australia’s innings, with both batters finding gaps and taking advantage of deliveries that were short or straight.

Smith made 42 before Shoriful Islam produced the breakthrough that changed the direction of the innings. The Australian batter was trapped lbw at 118/4, giving Bangladesh renewed belief during the final session.

Shoriful Leads Bangladesh’s Fightback

Shoriful had already made an impact with the bat by scoring 14 in Bangladesh’s first innings, and he became the central figure in Australia’s late collapse.

Alex Carey attempted to attack a length delivery but miscued his shot to mid-on, leaving Australia at 145/5. Bangladesh then struck repeatedly, with Shoriful removing Beau Webster and Pat Cummins for ducks.

Starc was Shoriful’s final victim. The Bangladesh seamer bowled him for one, completing a six-wicket haul that mirrored Starc’s earlier achievement.

Shoriful finished with 6/35, giving Bangladesh a remarkable response after their own batting collapse. His spell transformed an innings that had appeared under Australia’s control into a much tighter contest.

Green Holds Australia Together

Cameron Green was the one constant throughout Australia’s difficult innings. After helping Smith build the fourth-wicket partnership, Green continued to bat through the late collapse.

Green reached an unbeaten 51 and remained at the crease when stumps were drawn. His innings came on a surface that had caused problems for almost every other batter during the opening day.

Green’s resistance was particularly valuable because Australia’s advantage had narrowed sharply after the wickets of Smith, Carey, Webster, Cummins and Starc. Nathan Lyon joined him at the crease and remained unbeaten on 10.

Full Scorecard: Bangladesh 64 All Out

Bangladesh Fall of Wickets

1-0 (Shadman Islam, 0.1 ov), 2-9 (Tanzid Hasan, 2.1 ov), 3-9 (Najmul Hossain Shanto, 2.2 ov), 4-10 (Mominul Haque, 4.5 ov), 5-12 (Litton Das, 6.4 ov), 6-21 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 15.3 ov), 7-36 (Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 24.3 ov), 8-38 (Hasan Mahmud, 25.5 ov), 9-39 (Taskin Ahmed, 28.1 ov), 10-64 (Shoriful Islam, 33.6 ov).

Australia Bowling Figures

Full Scorecard: Australia 165/8

Yet to bat: Josh Hazlewood

Australia Fall of Wickets

1-22 (Matt Renshaw, 2.6 ov), 2-40 (Travis Head, 7.2 ov), 3-41 (Marnus Labuschagne, 7.5 ov), 4-118 (Steven Smith, 25.5 ov), 5-145 (Alex Carey, 30.6 ov), 6-146 (Beau Webster, 31.3 ov), 7-146 (Pat Cummins, 31.5 ov), 8-148 (Mitchell Starc, 33.1 ov).

Bangladesh Bowling Figures

Day 1 Match Details

Australia closed the opening day with the advantage, but Bangladesh’s six-wicket burst through Shoriful Islam ensured the hosts could not convert their early dominance into an overwhelming position. With 18 wickets already down, the Mackay Test has begun as a contest heavily tilted toward the bowlers.

Praveen Yadav

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.