Bangladesh may have been bowled out for just 64 in the second Test against Australia at Mackay, but what followed turned the spotlight back on the hosts and their approach to the conditions.
Mitchell Starc destroyed Bangladesh with 6/12 on a surface offering huge assistance to the fast bowlers. However, Shoriful Islam responded with a brilliant 6/35 as Australia themselves collapsed to 165/8 by stumps.
Eighteen wickets fell on the opening day, and Shoriful’s spell raised an obvious question: if Australia expected the pace-friendly Mackay conditions to give their world-class fast-bowling attack a major advantage, did that approach eventually come back to hurt their own batters?
Australia Were Under Pressure After the Darwin Defeat
Australia came into the second Test under considerable pressure after suffering a historic nine-wicket defeat against Bangladesh in Darwin.
It was Bangladesh’s first Test victory on Australian soil and only their second Test win against Australia overall.
More importantly, Bangladesh did not steal the match through one brilliant session. They dominated Australia for large parts of the Test.
Australia were dismissed for 198 in the first innings, with Hasan Mahmud taking 6/55. Bangladesh then posted 426 before bowling Australia out for 284 in their second innings.
The visitors chased the 57-run target for the loss of only one wicket to complete a famous victory.
Hasan finished with nine wickets in the match, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz took five wickets in Australia’s second innings.
The result became even more surprising considering Australia entered the series as the No.1-ranked Test side and leaders of the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings.
That is why the Darwin defeat was not just another Test loss for Australia.
Bangladesh had returned to Australia for a Test series after 23 years and defeated the hosts by nine wickets in their own conditions.
Mackay Conditions Were Completely Different
Australia won the toss in Mackay and immediately decided to bowl.
Mitchell Starc then showed exactly how difficult batting was going to be.
He dismissed Shadman Islam with the first delivery of the Test before removing Tanzid Hasan and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto early in his spell.
Bangladesh were soon reduced to 12/5.
Starc eventually finished with extraordinary figures of 6/12 from 10 overs, including six maidens, as Bangladesh were bowled out for only 64.
He needed just 22 deliveries to complete his five-wicket haul.
At that stage, it looked like Australia had produced the perfect response to their humiliation in Darwin.
But Shoriful Islam changed the story.
Shoriful Islam Six-Wicket Haul Turns Spotlight Back on Australia
Shoriful had missed Bangladesh’s historic victory in Darwin while recovering from a hamstring injury.
His return could hardly have been more impressive.
The 25-year-old left-arm pacer ripped through Australia’s batting order and finished Day 1 with career-best Test figures of 6/35 from 11 overs.
It was also his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
And this was not a second-string Australian batting unit.
Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith were among Shoriful’s victims as Bangladesh kept taking wickets.
He also removed Beau Webster, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
Australia eventually reached 165/8, with Cameron Green’s unbeaten 51 providing the resistance the hosts desperately needed.
Green’s innings was the major difference between Australia suffering a collapse similar to Bangladesh’s and taking a significant first-innings lead.
Australia’s Shameful Tactics For Mackay Test
This is where questions can be asked about Australia’s approach after the Darwin defeat.
Australia have Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood — three fast bowlers with enormous experience in Australian conditions.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, had not played a Test series in Australia for 23 years before this tour.
On a surface offering this much assistance to fast bowlers, Australia’s advantage should theoretically have become even greater.For one innings, it certainly did.Starc destroyed Bangladesh for 64.
The problem for Australia was that they then had to bat on the same surface.And Shoriful made sure the conditions worked against them as well.That is why Bangladesh’s bowling performance was so important.
A total of 18 wickets fell on the opening day. Bangladesh lost all 10 wickets for 64, while Australia lost eight wickets on their way to 165.
Mitchell Starc: 6/12
Shoriful Islam: 6/35
These numbers tell the story of the conditions better than anything else.
There has often been heavy criticism when Test matches in Asia produce surfaces offering considerable turn from the first day. Questions are quickly raised about the quality of the pitch when wickets fall rapidly against spin.
The same standard should apply when conditions heavily favour seam and swing in SENA countries, especially when a team like Australia is playing against Bangladesh, who have far less experience in these conditions and are not considered among the strongest Test sides.
If 18 wickets can fall on the opening day in such conditions, then the pitch deserves the same level of scrutiny that turning tracks in Asia often receive. From that point of view, this was embarrassing for Australian cricket. The fact that Bangladesh’s pacers were able to exploit the conditions so effectively also raises questions over Australia’s approach. This is where the perceived double standards around pitch criticism become difficult to ignore.
Bangladesh Have Already Proved Darwin Was Not Just a Fluke
Australia may still be in the stronger position in this Test.
A 101-run first-innings lead is significant when batting conditions are this difficult, particularly with two Australian wickets still remaining.
However, Bangladesh’s performance with the ball has already made one point clear.
Darwin cannot simply be dismissed as one bad Test from Australia.
Hasan Mahmud took 6/55 in Australia’s first innings of the opening Test. Bangladesh went on to win that match by nine wickets.
Now Shoriful Islam has taken 6/35 in Mackay.
Two different Bangladesh fast bowlers have therefore produced six-wicket hauls against Australia in consecutive Tests on Australian soil.
That deserves respect.
Bangladesh cricket has traditionally been associated with spin, particularly at home. But their fast-bowling unit is starting to show that it can also create problems in overseas conditions.
Hasan did it in Darwin.
Shoriful has now done it in Mackay.
Cameron Green Stands Between Bangladesh and Bigger Comeback
Amid all the wickets, Cameron Green produced arguably the most important batting performance of the day.
Green remained unbeaten on 51 and was the only batter from either side to reach a half-century.
His innings allowed Australia to move beyond 150 and establish a three-figure lead.
Without Green, Bangladesh could have found themselves in an even stronger position despite being dismissed for only 64.
That makes the first session of Day 2 extremely important.
Bangladesh need to remove Green and Nathan Lyon quickly. Every additional run could become valuable on a surface where batting has already proved extremely difficult.
Australia, meanwhile, will want Green to push the lead towards 130 or 150 before Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood get another opportunity with the ball.
Shoriful Islam Has Given Australia Something to Think About
Australia wanted a strong response after the Darwin defeat, and Starc certainly provided one by destroying Bangladesh’s batting order.
But Shoriful refused to allow Australia to have the day completely their own way.
The Shoriful Islam six-wicket haul turned what looked like a one-sided opening day into another serious examination of Australia’s batting.
Bangladesh are still behind in the match, and Australia remain in the stronger position. But the visitors have again shown that they are not in Australia simply to make up the numbers.
For CricInformer, that is the biggest takeaway from Day 1.
The pace-friendly conditions destroyed Bangladesh for 64, but those same conditions also allowed Shoriful to expose Australia’s batting problems.
After 18 wickets in one day, the Mackay Test has already given Australia far more to think about than they would have expected.