Australia’s second Test against Bangladesh turned into a memorable outing for Mitchell Starc as the veteran pacer produced a devastating spell at Mackay. After Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl first, Starc struck with the very first delivery and never allowed Bangladesh’s batters to settle.
His relentless attack helped Australia reduce the visitors to 35/6 before lunch and eventually dismiss them for just 64. The performance also saw Starc achieve a significant milestone in his Test career while continuing his impressive run in the series.
Mitchell Starc moves past Dale Steyn in Test cricket
The six-wicket haul also helped Starc move past South African fast-bowling great Dale Steyn on the all-time Test wicket-takers list. Starc entered the match with 434 Test wickets and added six more to reach 440. He therefore moved beyond Steyn’s tally of 439 wickets and climbed into outright 10th place among the highest wicket-takers in Test history. Earlier in the series, Starc had also surpassed Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath to become the leading wicket-taker among left-arm bowlers in Test cricket.
Australia began their first innings after dismissing Bangladesh for 64 and reached 165/8, although Shoriful Islam and Taskin Ahmed fought back with the ball. The match carries added importance for Australia after Bangladesh won the opening Test in Darwin by nine wickets. Australia now need a victory in Mackay to level the two-match series.
Starc tears through Bangladesh batting lineup
Starc opened the bowling and needed only one delivery to make his mark, having Shadman Islam caught at gully before Bangladesh had scored a run. The Australia pacer continued to find movement and carry from the Mackay surface, repeatedly troubling the Bangladesh batters. He accounted for several of their key players, including Tanzid Hasan, who had scored a century in the opening Test in Darwin, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. Both batters were dismissed without scoring.
Bangladesh slipped to 35/6 during the opening session before eventually being bowled out for 64 in 34 overs. Shoriful top-scored with just 14 runs as the visitors registered the fourth-lowest total in their Test history. Starc finished the innings with remarkable figures of 6/12 from 10 overs. His fifth wicket came in just 22 deliveries, giving him the second-fastest five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The record belongs to Starc himself, who achieved the feat in 15 balls against the West Indies in 2025.
