Starc's Double-Strike Seals Rapid Victory
Mitchell Starc delivered a career-defining performance as Australia crushed Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in the second Test at Mackay, drawing the two-match series 1-1. The victory, secured just after tea on the second day, came after just 750 legal deliveries – the fourth-shortest completed Test in history and the second-shortest ever played on Australian soil, according to multiple reports.
Starc finished with match figures of 10-51, his fourth ten-wicket haul in Test cricket, after taking 6-12 in the first innings and 4-39 in the second. The left-arm quick's first-innings spell included a five-wicket haul in his opening 22 balls – the sixth-fastest recorded fifer in men's Tests – and four of the six batters he dismissed scored ducks. He also claimed a wicket with the first ball of the match.
"Much better week. We knew we weren't at our best, or what we expect of ourselves, in Darwin," Starc said after the match, as quoted by the BBC and Sky Sports. "Test cricket, I've said it before, it will always be the pinnacle for me. I'd like to milk my body for all I can for test cricket, and that's how it'll remain."
Bangladesh's Twin Collapses
Bangladesh, who had stunned the cricket world with a nine-wicket victory in the series opener in Darwin, were bowled out for just 64 in their first innings and 95 in their second. The Associated Press reported it was the first time in Bangladesh's history that they had been dismissed for under 100 in both innings of a Test, and the first time any team had suffered two such collapses in a Test in 21 years.
Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 31 in the second innings, while Mushfiqur Rahim remained unbeaten on 29, but the pair received little support from the rest of the batting line-up. Bangladesh's horror start in the second innings saw Shadman Islam and Mominul Haque dismissed in successive balls by Starc, as reported by multiple outlets including the Economic Times and The Canberra Times.
"We didn't play our best match," Shanto admitted, according to Lokmat Times. "This is a different condition (to the first Test) and there's a little bit more extra bounce and swing in the air. So it's challenging for us, but as a team if we want to go forward we need to adjust to this condition, and I hope this experience will help going forward."
Shoriful's Historic Spell
While Australia dominated, Bangladesh's left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam produced a record-breaking performance of his own. Shoriful claimed 7-48 in 15 overs to bowl Australia out for 210, giving Bangladesh a 146-run first-innings lead. His figures were the best-ever by a Bangladesh bowler in an away Test, surpassing Taijul Islam's 7/138 against Zimbabwe earlier in the year, as reported by India Today and The Cricket Times.
Shoriful's spell included the key wicket of Cameron Green, who top-scored for Australia with 67 off 105 balls. The left-arm pacer dismissed Green with a sharp inswinging yorker that struck the all-rounder on the front pad, with the decision confirmed on review after a lengthy DRS consultation – a delivery described by ABC Australia as "surely the ball of the series."
Green's innings, which followed his century in Darwin, helped Australia recover from a precarious 41/3. Steve Smith contributed 42, and Nathan Lyon added an unbeaten 32, with Lyon and Josh Hazlewood putting on a crucial 24-run stand for the final wicket.
Records and Milestones
Starc's performance moved him past South Africa's Dale Steyn into 10th place on the all-time Test wicket-takers' list with 445 wickets, as reported by the Associated Press and multiple Indian outlets. He was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series for 12 wickets across the two Tests at an average of 12.08.
The match also saw Starc surpass his Australia teammates Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon to become the leading wicket-taker in ICC World Test Championship history, with 234 wickets, according to ANI. In the ongoing 2025-27 WTC cycle, Starc leads with 58 wickets.
Australia's first-innings total of 210 was the fourth-lowest in Test history to secure an innings win, as noted by 7NEWS Australia and The Canberra Times. The win also strengthened Australia's position at the top of the ICC World Test Championship standings, with a points percentage of 80.00, according to NewsBytes and NewsX.
Australia's Batting Concerns Persist
The emphatic victory masked ongoing concerns about Australia's batting, with several outlets – including ABC Australia and The Straits Times – noting that the top order remains vulnerable ahead of a demanding tour of South Africa in October. Australia's first innings featured a collapse from 41/3, with only Green and Smith offering significant resistance.
"The catastrophic issues that resulted in a stunning defeat a week ago have not disappeared," ABC Australia reported, arguing that the win was achieved "aided by a friendly pitch" rather than a resolution of the team's batting flaws.
Perspectives on the Quick Finish
The brevity of the match – Australia's third two-day Test in their last seven home Tests – drew criticism from former Australia opener Justin Langer, who described the trend as "unacceptable."
"Two-day Test matches (are) unacceptable. It's no good for the game for so many reasons," Langer told SEN Radio, as quoted by The Times of India and Lokmat Times. "Economically it's a disaster for Cricket Australia who put money into grassroots cricket."
Langer attributed the rapid finishes to a decline in batting technique rather than pitch conditions, saying that "almost every dismissal has been batters; their front foot has not gone past the front line."
Australia captain Pat Cummins, however, offered a different perspective on the pitch, saying "It seemed to happen in fast-forward. The pitch was pretty good. It didn't really feel like a 30-wicket, five-session Test match, but it seems to be the way a few of these Test matches are going," as quoted by The Canberra Times.
Starc also defended the surface, telling Times Now: "People will sit there and go '[there were] 18 wickets, it's a bad wicket'. I think it's a very good day-one wicket."
The series result left Bangladesh with mixed feelings – the historic high of their first-ever Test win in Australia, followed by a crushing defeat. Captain Shanto said the team had taken confidence from the series and urged for more opportunities to tour Australia, noting the 23-year gap between Test tours.
"I think it was a very proud moment as a team, and we showed our character and discipline in the first Test," Shanto said, as reported by The Hindu. "We need to be consistent, and I believe if we are able to get more chances, similar kinds of conditions year after year, it will help us."