MACKAY, Australia — Mitchell Starc delivered a devastating opening spell on Saturday, ripping through Bangladesh’s top order with five wickets in just 22 balls as Australia made an emphatic response to their historic defeat in the first Test.
Bangladesh reached lunch at 35 for six on the opening morning of the second Test at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, with Starc finishing the session with remarkable figures of 5/11 from nine overs.
The Australian left-arm quick wasted no time.
Starc struck with the very first ball of the match, removing Shadman Islam for a duck after the opener edged behind to Cameron Green at gully. It was the fourth time Starc had taken a wicket with the opening delivery of a Test match.
He then tore apart Bangladesh’s batting order.
Tanzid Hasan fell for a duck, followed by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was trapped lbw. Mominul Haque became Starc’s fourth victim after edging to Green in the gully, before Litton Das was trapped lbw for another duck.
Bangladesh had suddenly plunged to 12 for five.
Starc’s five-wicket haul came in only 22 deliveries, making it the sixth-fastest five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Remarkably, Starc already owns the record for the fastest five-for, having taken five wickets in just 15 balls against the West Indies in Kingston in 2025.
The collapse was not entirely down to Starc alone. Australia’s attack benefited from a Mackay pitch offering noticeably more bounce than the surface used in Darwin during the first Test, while Bangladesh’s batters struggled to adjust to the additional lift. The Guardian noted that several of the visiting batters were caught playing away from their bodies as Australia maintained relentless pressure.
Australia captain Pat Cummins had won the toss and elected to bowl, a decision that immediately paid off. Cummins also contributed to the early pressure by removing Mushfiqur Rahim for five, leaving Bangladesh six wickets down at lunch.
At the interval, Mehidy Hasan Miraz was unbeaten on 11 and Hasan Mahmud was on eight, providing Bangladesh with a small measure of resistance after the spectacular top-order collapse.
Australia’s fierce response
The performance represented a dramatic turnaround from the first Test in Darwin.
Bangladesh stunned Australia by winning the series opener by nine wickets, securing their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil. Hasan Mahmud took nine wickets in the match, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz also played a major role in Bangladesh’s historic victory.
That result put Australia under immediate pressure heading into Mackay.
Australia made one change to its XI, bringing Matt Renshaw back to replace Jake Weatherald at the top of the order. Bangladesh also made a change, with Shoriful Islam replacing Ebadot Hossain.
The second Test is also significant because Mackay is hosting its first men’s Test match, with the Great Barrier Reef Arena becoming Australia’s 12th men’s Test venue.
For Australia, however, the venue’s debut quickly became the backdrop for one of Starc’s most destructive opening spells.
The veteran quick had already entered the match as the most prolific left-arm bowler in Test history, having moved beyond Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath during the first Test.
Now, with Bangladesh’s top order in tatters and Australia desperate to level the series, Starc had delivered exactly the kind of response Cummins and the Australian camp were demanding.
And the biggest question was no longer whether Australia had recovered from the Darwin shock.
It was whether Bangladesh could survive the rest of the day.
This is a developing Test match. Scores and match details may change as play continues.
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