Australia Level Series With Innings Win Inside Two Days in Mackay
Australia have levelled their series against Bangladesh with an emphatic victory by an innings and 51 runs at Mackay, completing the win inside two days and responding forcefully to last week's defeat in Darwin.
Mitchell Starc was the central figure, finishing with match figures of 10-45, the second-best return of his career. The result leaves the two-match series tied at 1-1 after Bangladesh's historic nine-wicket win in the opening Test, which had been described as among the greatest upsets in the format's history.
A Chaotic First Day
The Great Barrier Reef Arena, hosting its first Test as Australia's 12th men's venue, saw 18 wickets fall on the opening day. Bangladesh were dismissed for 64, their fourth-lowest Test total, with Starc leading the way alongside Pat Cummins, who took 3-25, and Josh Hazlewood with 1-18. Shoriful Islam was the tourists' top scorer with 14 batting at number 11.
Australia's reply was less convincing than the scoreline suggested. Matthew Renshaw, recalled in place of the dropped Jake Weatherald, was caught at slip for 8, and Travis Head chopped on for 22 to leave the hosts 2-40. Shoriful then removed Head and, later in the same over, bowled Marnus Labuschagne off his thigh pad for 4.
The left-arm quick, playing his first Test in Australia, tore through the middle and lower order to finish with seven wickets in the match. Australia resumed the second day on 8-165, with Cameron Green and Nathan Lyon adding 21 before Shoriful produced an inswinging yorker to dismiss Green for 67. Lyon finished unbeaten on 32 as Australia closed on 210, a lead of 146.
Starc Finishes the Job
Bangladesh's second innings offered little resistance. Starc struck twice in consecutive balls in his second over, removing Shadman Islam for 1 and Mominul Haque for a duck. Tanzid Hasan fell for 9 before lunch, pulling Cummins to Starc at fine leg, leaving the tourists 3-39 at the interval.
The collapse continued after the break. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto chipped Lyon to Starc at long off for 31, and Litton Das recorded his third duck of the series, edging Starc to Beau Webster at third slip. Cummins removed Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 1 and Hasan Mahmud for 2 in consecutive overs.
Starc claimed his 10th wicket of the match shortly before tea, bowling Taijul Islam for 7. Lyon took two wickets in four balls after the interval to complete the win. Bangladesh failed to reach 100 in either innings, the first time that has happened to them in a Test match.
What It Means
Australia had never lost both matches of a two-Test series at home, and avoided that outcome with a performance that restored some order after Darwin. Their World Test Championship points percentage had fallen from 87.50 to 77.78 following the first Test.
For Bangladesh, the result closes a tour that will still be remembered for what happened in Darwin. Their first Test win on Australian soil came in only their third attempt, and in their first Test in the country for 23 years. Shoriful's seven wickets in Mackay offered a further individual positive, though the batting failures on both sides of the match left little room for a series win.
