Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam take six wickets each on historic opening day

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Australian pacer Mitchell Starc dismissed Bangladesh opener Shadman Islam with the very first delivery of the match, setting the tone for a chaotic opening day in the second Test on Saturday that saw 18 wickets fall.

Opting to bowl first after winning the coin toss, Australian captain Pat Cummins said, “The wicket looks pretty good, but if there is any moisture in it, it might be this morning.” Cummins was proved right immediately as Starc ripped through the visiting order, bundling Bangladesh out for a meagre 64 runs shortly after lunch.

Shadman fell to a leading edge caught in the gully, granting Starc a record fourth career wicket off the first ball of a match. Starc quickly removed Tanzid Hasan and trapped skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw in his third over. 

He added Mominul Haque for 9 via a low catch from Cameron Green, trapped Litton Das lbw for his fifth, and wrapped up his sixth after the break. Starc completed a masterclass spell of 6-12 in 10 overs, while Cummins claimed three wickets.

“Six (wickets) in the first session, can’t beat that,” Starc told his wife, former Australia captain and television commentator Alyssa Healy, as he left the field at lunch. “Obviously a little bit of anger.”

Australia build lead despite Shoriful’s counter-attack

The pitch remained a test for batters throughout the day. In response, Australia reached 165-8 at stumps to build a 101-run advantage, largely due to Cameron Green’s unbeaten 51 alongside Nathan Lyon on 10.

However, Bangladesh fast bowler Shoriful Islam produced a remarkable response, matching Starc’s feat by taking 6-35 to keep his team alive. Earlier in the day, Shoriful had also top-scored for Bangladesh from the No. 11 spot with 14 runs.

Bangladesh’s first Test win in Australia put pressure on national cricket selectors for an overhaul, but the bulk of the ageing squad was retained despite being outplayed in Darwin, where the likes of Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan made the most of the tropical conditions.

The second Test at Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena marks the end of the “Top End” series and serves as a launchpad for an intense 12-month calendar featuring 20 Test matches for Australia.

(With inputs from PTI)

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