Mitchell Starc tore through the top order with 6/12, making history as the first bowler to take a wicket on the opening ball of a Test four times.

Queensland: Fresh from their historic nine-wicket triumph in Darwin, their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil, Bangladesh suffered a brutal reality check on Day 1 of the second Test at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Opting to field on a bouncy, Gabba-style surface in the venue’s inaugural Test match, Australia rolled the visitors out for a paltry 64 runs in 34 overs soon after lunch, courtesy of a devastating pace assault.
Veteran pacer Mitchell Starc produced a masterclass of swing and seam bowling, taking six wickets for just 12 runs. Starc ignited the collapse with the very first delivery of the match, removing Shadman Islam before tearing through the top order to claim five wickets in his opening four overs. Starc’s opening blitz reduced Bangladesh to a staggering 12/5 within half an hour, making him the first bowler in Test history to take a wicket with the opening ball of a match on four separate occasions.
ALSO READ: Bangladesh Defeats Australia in Historic Darwin Test Victory
Australian captain Pat Cummins provided relentless pressure at the other end, bagging 3 for 25 and bowling veteran Mushfiqur Rahim with a delivery that nipped back to crash into the top of middle stump. With Bangladesh's upper and middle order utterly dismantled, tailender Shoriful Islam top-scored for the visitors with just 14 runs. Josh Hazlewood claimed the final wicket as Bangladesh crumbled to their fourth-lowest Test total in history.
The dramatic collapse leaves Australia in complete command of the contest as Cummins' side look to square the two-match series following their defeat in the opener. Exploiting the lively central Queensland surface to full effect, Australia's pace attack dismantled Bangladesh's momentum within a single session, restoring firm authority on home turf.
Published: 22 Aug 2026, 09:32 am IST
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