Starc’s Blitz: Five Wickets in 22 Balls Rattles Bangladesh

Bangladesh 35 for 6 (Mehidy 11, Mahmud 8, Starc 5-11) vs Australia

Mitchell Starc’s explosive spell of five wickets in the opening 45 minutes of the Mackay Test left Bangladesh reeling. At lunch, the tourists were struggling at 35 for 6, having slumped to 12 for 5 earlier, as Starc’s pace and late movement wreaked havoc.

This marked the second occasion in as many years that the world’s leading left-arm pace bowler ripped through a top‑order in rapid succession. Starc reached his five‑for against Bangladesh in just 22 deliveries, having previously claimed a wicket in only 15 balls versus the West Indies the year before.

After Australia captain Pat Cummins elected to bowl first, Starc struck on the very first ball. He induced Shadman Islam to play at a delivery that swung in towards the left‑hander before moving away slightly; the outside edge flew to Cameron Green at gully, who dived to his left to complete the catch.

It was the fourth time Starc had dismissed a batsman with the opening ball of a Test, following his earlier victims Dimuth Karunaratne, Rory Burns and Yashasvi Jaiswal. It also represented the ninth instance of Starc taking a wicket in the first over of a Test. Shadman joined Hannan Sarkar as the second Bangladesh opener to fall for a duck on the first ball of a Test—a feat Sarkar achieved three times against West Indies’ Pedro Collins.

Starc claimed his second wicket when Tanzid Hasan defended the first ball of his second over straight to Beau Webster at second slip. It was an odd shot from a batsman who had scored a century in his previous Test; Tanzid now sits on two consecutive ducks after his breakthrough fifty in Darwin.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was given out lbw on the very next delivery. Shanto immediately reviewed the decision, but the umpire’s call stood, leaving him visibly frustrated. Mushfiqur Rahim avoided the potential hat‑trick ball, yet another wicket loomed.

Mominul Haque, who had already struck two boundaries at the other end, played a tentative push towards the slips without moving his feet. The ball narrowly carried to Cameron Green at gully, as another Bangladesh top‑order batsman, lacking footwork, simply flung his bat at a wide delivery.

Starc completed his five‑for in the following over, trapping Litton Das lbw for a duck. Webster had spilled a simple chance on the previous ball when Litton fended a short delivery, but he was the most relieved fielder when on‑field umpire Kumar Dharmasena raised his finger, a decision later upheld by TV umpire Richard Illingworth with three reds. Bangladesh’s tally of 12 for 5 marked their lowest total after losing half their side in a Test innings.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Bangladesh’s recognized batting partnership, held Australia at bay for the next ten overs. Their resistance consisted mainly of defensive prods and occasional edges outside off stump or on the inside edge, until Cummins induced a nip back through Mushfiqur’s bat and pad to break the stand.

Mehidy and Hasan Mahmud negotiated the remaining 7.4 overs, illustrating the merit of leaving the ball alone.

Source link