Pacer Shoriful Islam’s 6/35 led a Bangladesh fightback after they were bowled out for 64 by Mitchell Starc (6/12). Australia ended Day 1 of the 2nd Test at 165/8, leading by 101 runs, thanks to Cameron Green’s unbeaten 51.
After a poor outing with the bat, a sensational six-wicket haul by pacer Shoriful Islam helped Bangladesh fight back, ending the first day of the second Test against Australia at Mackay on Sunday on a high. At the end of day one, Australia was 165/8, with Cameron Green (51*) and Nathan Lyon (10*) unbeaten. They were leading by 101 runs against Bangladesh, who were skittled out for 64 in the first innings.
Starc’s six-fer skittles Bangladesh
Australia won the toss and elected to field first. Mitchell Starc struck Bangladesh with a vengeance after the embarrassment of the loss at Darwin, taking five wickets in the first seven overs and reducing Bangladesh to 12/5. Starc started the innings with the first-ball wicket of Shadman Islam for a duck, registering the ninth instance of a first-over wicket in Tests, surpassing England legend James Anderson (eight such instances). Bangladesh was 35/6 at the end of the first session.
Starc’s fifer was a brutal one, as none of the batters could touch double figures, and four of them, Shadman, Tanzid, Shanto and a returning Litton Das, could not even open their account. Further impetus from skipper Pat Cummins (3/25) caused them to collapse to 39/9. However, Bangladesh avoided the embarrassment of being bowled out for their lowest-ever Test total (their lowest being 43 against West Indies in 2018). Instead, they were skittled out for just 64, with Starc getting a sensational 6/12 in 10 overs. Shoriful Islam (14) was the top-scorer for Bangladesh, with three batters touching three figures. Starc also went past South African legend Dale Steyn (439 wickets) and became the 10th-highest wicket-taker in Tests, with 441 wickets at an average of 26.27, with 19 five-wicket hauls and three ten-fers and best figures of 7/58.
Shoriful leads Bangladesh’s fightback
However, at the end of the tea break, Australia was 50/3, with Steve Smith (6*) and Cameron Green (1*) unbeaten. Travis Head (22), Matt Renshaw (8) and Marnus Labuschagne (4), with Shoriful Islam (2/6) and Taskin Ahmed (1/26) reducing Australia to 41/3.
In the final session, Green and Steve Smith (42 in 74 balls, with six fours) got Australia past the 100-run mark, stitching a 77-run stand. However, Shoriful (6/35) reduced Australia to 148/8 with a magnificent six-fer, with Green and Lyon standing unbeaten to end the day.
Brief Scores
Brief Scores: Australia: 165/8 (Cameron Green 51*, Steve Smith 42, Shoriful Islam 6/35) vs Bangladesh: 64 (Shoriful Islam 14, Taijul Islam 11*, Mitchell Starc 6/12). (ANI)
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