Australia and Bangladesh witnessed a remarkable opening day of the second Test at Mackay, with the bowlers dominating proceedings from the first session. Mitchell Starc produced a devastating spell to dismantle Bangladesh’s batting lineup, while Shoriful Islam responded with an impressive six-wicket haul to keep the visitors in the contest. A total of 18 wickets fell during an action-packed day, with Australia eventually ending the day in a strong position despite their own batting struggles.
Mitchell Starc tears through Bangladesh batting lineup
Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl first, and the decision paid immediate dividends as Starc struck with the very first delivery of the Test. Shadman Islam edged a full delivery towards gully, where Cameron Green completed the catch. Starc continued to cause problems with his movement and bounce, removing Tanzid Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto in successive deliveries. The left-arm pacer completed his five-wicket haul in just 22 balls, becoming the second-fastest bowler to achieve the feat in Test cricket.
He eventually finished with remarkable figures of 6/12 as Bangladesh were bowled out for just 64 in 34 overs. Cummins also contributed with 3/25, while Shoriful top-scored for Bangladesh with 14. Starc’s performance also saw him move past Dale Steyn’s 439 Test wickets and into the top 10 of the all-time wicket-takers list.
Shoriful Islam leads Bangladesh’s fightback
Australia’s response was far from comfortable as Shoriful produced a superb spell after returning from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the opening Test. The left-arm seamer struck twice in his first over, dismissing Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne to leave Australia at 41/3. Matthew Renshaw and Steve Smith then put together a 77-run partnership, but Shoriful returned to dismiss Smith after the batter missed a delivery that struck him in front of the stumps.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz also contributed by removing Alex Carey, who advanced down the pitch but failed to control his shot. Shoriful saved his best spell for the final hour, claiming three wickets in five deliveries. He eventually finished with 6/58, while Australia slipped to 165/8.
Green stood firm amid the collapse, remaining unbeaten on 51 and producing several impressive pull shots. Nathan Lyon was also not out on 10 at stumps, with Australia holding a 101-run lead. After 18 wickets fell on a dramatic first day, Australia remain in the stronger position, but Bangladesh’s fightback with the ball has kept the second Test firmly alive.
Australia holds a 101-run lead at the close of an eventful Day 1, finishing at 165/8 after a wild 18-wicket opening day ✋#AUSvBAN #Australia #TestCricket pic.twitter.com/v45jRgBsEs
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) August 22, 2026
