Australia secured a dominant victory over Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in the second Test match at Mackay, riding on a phenomenal bowling performance by Mitchell Starc. With this resounding win, the two-match series between the sides ended in a 1-1 draw. The pitch at Mackay heavily favored pace bowlers, wrapping up the entire contest inside just two days of play. On the opening day alone, a staggering 18 wickets fell across both innings. The match concluded abruptly after tea on the second day when Bangladesh were bundled out for just 95 runs in the very first over following the break, handing Australia a massive victory.
Early Dominance After Winning The Toss
At the toss, Australia captain Pat Cummins elected to bowl first after winning the call. Wielding the new ball with lethal precision, the Australian pace attack wreaked havoc as Bangladesh's first innings collapsed for a paltry total of 64 runs. Mitchell Starc proved particularly unplayable, dismantling the opposition batting lineup. Starc delivered 10 overs, giving away just 12 runs while claiming 6 wickets. Remarkably, Starc completed a five-wicket haul in a mere 22 deliveries to put his team in complete control. Alongside Starc, Pat Cummins picked up 3 wickets, while Josh Hazelwood accounted for 1 wicket in that opening burst.
Despite a dismal batting display, Shoriful Islam stood out for Bangladesh with the ball, wreaking havoc on the Australian batters. Islam single-handedly removed 7 Australian players. For a brief moment, it looked as though Bangladesh might mount a comeback into the match, but resilient knocks from Cameron Green and Steve Smith helped Australia post 210 runs in their first innings, building a substantial lead of 146 runs. Green anchored the batting with 67 runs, supported by Smith with 42 and a handy lower-order contribution of 32 runs from Nathan Lyon.
Second Innings Collapse Seals The Outcome
Facing the unrelenting Australian pacers on the Mackay surface, Bangladesh's second innings suffered a familiar fate. The team folded for just 95 runs as the batting lineup failed to cope. Only two batsmen managed to reach double figures during the innings, with Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scoring with 31 runs, while Mushfiqur Rahim added 29 runs. None of the other players could find their footing, resulting in a disappointing and heavy defeat for Bangladesh.
