Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam delivered outstanding bowling performances as the first day of the second Test between Australia and Bangladesh concluded in Mackay on August 22. Starc claimed six wickets for 12 runs, while Shoriful took six for 35, dominating the left-arm pace attack.
Australia elected to field first after winning the toss, with Starc quickly dismantling the Bangladesh batting lineup following their disappointing first innings. He took five wickets within the first seven overs, reducing Bangladesh to 12 for 5. Starc struck with the first ball, dismissing Shadman Islam for a duck, marking the ninth occasion of a first-over wicket in Test cricket and surpassing England’s James Anderson’s previous record of eight.
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Bangladesh suffered severely in the first session, finishing at 35 for 6, with none of the batsmen reaching double figures. Four batsmen, including Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Shanto, and Litton Das, were dismissed without scoring. Captain Pat Cummins added to the pressure, taking three wickets for 25 runs, as Bangladesh collapsed to 39 for 9 before recovering to post 64 runs in their first innings.
Shoriful Islam top-scored for Bangladesh with 14 runs,
Shoriful Islam top-scored for Bangladesh with 14 runs, while Taijul Islam remained unbeaten on 11. Starc’s six-wicket haul, achieved in 10 overs, elevated him past South African bowler Dale Steyn to become the tenth-highest wicket-taker in Test history with 441 wickets at an average of 26.27, including 19 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket matches, his best figures being 7 for 58.
In their reply, Australia faced resistance as Shoriful and Taskin Ahmed removed early wickets, reducing the hosts to 41 for 3 after the tea break. Travis Head scored 22, Matt Renshaw 8, and Marnus Labuschagne 4 before the bowling attack limited their progress.
Steve Smith and Cameron Green steadied the innings, adding 77 runs for the fourth wicket and surpassing the 100-run mark. Smith scored 42 runs from 74 balls, hitting six boundaries. However, Shoriful returned to take further wickets, ending with six for 35, leaving Australia at 165 for 8 at stumps. Green remained unbeaten on 51, and Nathan Lyon on 10, providing the hosts a 101-run lead over Bangladesh.
Brief scores:
Australia: 165 for 8 (Cameron Green 51*, Steve Smith 42, Shoriful Islam 6/35)
Bangladesh: 64 all out (Shoriful Islam 14, Taijul Islam 11*, Mitchell Starc 6/12)
Source: thenewsmill.com
