Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam each take six wickets on day one in Mackay
Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam each claimed six wickets on the opening day of the second Test between Australia and Bangladesh at the Great Barrier Reef Stadium in Mackay on Saturday, August 22, 2026. Eighteen wickets fell during the day as Bangladesh were dismissed for 64 and Australia finished the day 165-8, leading by 101.
Australia won the toss and elected to bowl; captain Pat Cummins had said, "the wicket looks pretty good, but if there is any moisture in it, it might be this morning." Shadman Islam was removed with the first ball of the match when he was caught in the gully off a leading edge, a dismissal the report says gave Starc his record fourth career wicket on the first ball of a match, and Bangladesh were bowled out shortly after lunch.
Starc added further damage in the morning session, removing Tanzid Hasan and having captain Najmul Hossain Shanto caught lbw in the third over to leave Bangladesh under pressure. He took his fourth when Cameron Green completed a grass-top catch to dismiss Mominul Haque for 9, the only Bangladesh batter among the first four to score a run that day. Starc trapped Litton Das lbw for his fifth and took his sixth after lunch, finishing with figures of 6-12 in 10 overs; Cummins finished with three wickets.
In reply, Australia were 165-8 at stumps, leading by 101, with Cameron Green unbeaten on 51 and Nathan Lyon on 10. Bangladesh's Shoriful Islam matched Starc with 6-35 in Australia's innings, and Shoriful was also Bangladesh's highest scorer with 14 as the No. 11 batter. Australia had announced a 13-man squad earlier in the week and made one change for the second Test, dropping Jake Weatherald and recalling Matt Renshaw, who opened and was out for 8.
"Six (wickets) in the first session, can't beat that," Starc told his wife, television commentator and former Australia captain Alyssa Healy while walking off the field at lunch, adding, "Obviously a little bit of anger." The match began under sunny skies at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, a coastal city in Queensland about 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of the capital Brisbane. Bangladesh's first Test win in Australia had put pressure on national selectors, but the bulk of the aging squad was retained despite being outplayed in Darwin, "where the likes of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan made the most of the tropical conditions."
The two-Test "Top End" series starts a heavy 12-month schedule for the Australians that will feature 20 Test matches, including tours to South Africa, India and England.
