Second Test, Mackay, day one
Bangladesh 64: Shoriful 14; Starc 6-12, Cummins 3-25
Australia 165-8: Green 51*; Shoriful 6-35
Australia lead by 101 runs
Australia responded to last week’s shock defeat by bowling Bangladesh out for 64 but their batters failed again on a remarkable first day of the second Test in Mackay.
Mitchell Starc nicked off Shadman Islam with the first ball of the match and had five wickets after his first 22 balls as the tourists fell to 12-5.
Captain Pat Cummins took 3-25 as Australia continued to run through Bangladesh though the Tigers, who played some poor shots against quality bowling on a lively new-ball wicket, did manage to extend their innings from 39-9 to 64 all out in 34 overs.
Wickets continued to tumble – 18 fell in the day – through Australia’s innings, doing little to dampen the talk around their batting line-up.
The hosts closed on 165-8, leading by 101.
Matt Renshaw, who was called up to replace Jake Weatherald after the first-Test defeat in Darwin, edged to first slip for eight, Travis Head chopped on for 22 and under-pressure number three Marnus Labuschagne was bowled for four.
Labuschagne has now gone 43 innings without a Test century.
“It has been way too long now,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said on 7 Cricket.
“He can’t score off the back foot. It is well and truly time to have a look at someone else.”
Steve Smith and Cameron Green built a recovery with a partnership of 77 but after Smith was out lbw for 42 Australia lost another four wickets for 30 runs.
Alex Carey was out for five and Beau Webster a first-ball duck.
After his second-innings century in Darwin, Green remained unbeaten on 51 at the close alongside Nathan Lyon on 10 not out.
Left-arm quick Shoriful Islam took 6-35 for Bangladesh.
“Everyone will look at it and say there is something wrong with the wicket but it was very similar to a Gabba wicket,” Starc said. “It was still playing well.
“There has been some good bowling, they nicked some half volleys, there were some chop-ons and some thigh pads onto the stumps.
Starc’s haul, which comes after a 31 in last winter’s Ashes against England, took him ahead of South Africa great Dale Steyn and into 10th on the all time Test wicket-takers list with 441.
“He is getting better and better,” said former Australia bowler Jason Gillespie on ABC.
“Early in his career some of the criticisms were that he leaked a lot of runs and was inconsistent.
“In the last few years we have seen a very consistent bowler.”
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