Australia beats Bangladesh by innings and 51 runs as Starc takes 10 wickets
Mitchell Starc claimed 10 wickets as Australia bounced back to defeat Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs, leveling their two-Test series 1-1.
Australia bounced back from a shock defeat in the opening match of the series to level the two-Test contest against Bangladesh with a dominant victory by an innings and 51 runs at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, according to Thesportstak. The match concluded on Sunday, 23 August 2026, in just five sessions and three deliveries, making it the shortest Test in Australia in nearly a century, as reported by Cricketnmore.
Left-arm pace bowler Mitchell Starc spearheaded the demolition, claiming a 10-wicket match haul. Starc collected six wickets for 12 runs in the first innings, before adding four more in the second to finish with match figures of 10 for 51, his best performance in a home Test. His destructive morning spell on the opening day saw him claim five wickets in just 22 balls. According to Newsbytesapp, the performance propelled Starc past South African legend Dale Steyn into the top ten wicket-takers in Test cricket history, taking his career tally to 441 wickets. Starc also surpassed teammates Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon to become the highest wicket-taker in World Test Championship history.
Media additions
Bangladesh suffered two dramatic batting collapses on a bouncy yet level pitch, managing totals of 64 and 95. According to Cricketnmore, it marked the first time in 21 years that a team was bowled out for double figures twice in the same Test match. Captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon provided crucial support to Starc, claiming three wickets each in the second innings to wrap up the contest.
Despite the comprehensive team victory, Starc faced a different kind of pressure during the lunch break on the opening day. Former Australia captain and wife Alyssa Healy interviewed him on broadcast, playfully demanding to know if he would pick up the dinner bill after she paid the previous night, as reported by Mathrubhumi.
While the bowling attack shone, Australia's batting lineup continued to show persistent vulnerabilities ahead of an upcoming series in South Africa. As noted by Foxsports, players under the pump include Marnus Labuschagne, whose place in the team remains a subject of intense debate among former Australian greats, and Travis Head, whose position at the top of the order has triggered discussions regarding a return to the middle order. Cameron Green emerged as Australia's standout batter of the series, top-scoring in the first innings in Mackay with 67 runs following his century in Darwin.
For Bangladesh, left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam claimed a record-breaking seven-wicket haul in Australia's first innings, finishing with figures of 7 for 48. Thesportstak noted that Shoriful became the first visiting left-arm pacer in 143 years to take a seven-wicket haul on Australian soil, though his historic effort ultimately went in vain as the series finished in a 1-1 draw.
Series Match Summary
- First Test (Darwin): Bangladesh won by nine wickets after posting 426 in their first innings.
- Second Test (Mackay): Australia won by an innings and 51 runs in a match lasting just 750 balls.
- Series Result: Drawn 1-1.
- Player of the Series: Mitchell Starc.
Australia's selectors face pressing selection decisions regarding the batting order and the utility of playing dual all-rounders as the squad prepares for the heavy demands of the international calendar, including upcoming overseas fixtures in South Africa beginning in October 2026.
