South Mackay, August 22: The first day of the second Test between Australia and Bangladesh at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in South Mackay was entirely dominated by bowlers. A total of 18 wickets fell throughout the day, showcasing the supremacy of fast bowlers.
Winning the toss, Australian captain Pat Cummins opted to bowl first. This decision proved to be pivotal as Mitchell Starc played a crucial role in dismantling Bangladesh’s first innings for just 64 runs.
Starc delivered an impressive performance, taking 6 wickets for only 12 runs in 10 overs. Additionally, Cummins secured 3 wickets, while Josh Hazlewood claimed 1.
Bangladesh crumbled under the pressure of Australia’s pace trio, with Starc sending the top five batsmen back to the pavilion for a mere 15 runs. The only resistance came from Shoriful Islam, who scored 14 runs at number 11, helping Bangladesh reach a total of 64. He was the top scorer for his side.
When Australia took to bat, they faced a similar fate. By the end of the first day, Australia had lost 8 wickets for 165 runs. Cameron Green remained at the crease with 51 runs, while Nathan Lyon was not out on 10. Australia’s lead stands at just 101 runs, putting the onus on Green to extend it further on Day Two. Marnus Labuschagne contributed 22 runs, and Steve Smith added 42, but six batsmen failed to reach double digits.
For Bangladesh, the decision to include fast bowler Shoriful Islam in the playing eleven proved beneficial. He delivered a lethal performance, taking 6 wickets for 35 runs in 11 overs. Taskeen Ahmed and Mehidy Hasan Miraz each took 1 wicket.
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