Star Metro - Australia lose three wickets after skittling Bangladesh for 64

Skipper Pat Cummins won the toss in Mackay and his bowlers feasted on a fine day, determined to bounce back from a shock nine-wicket loss in the first Test at Darwin.

An irrepressible Starc was the destroyer in an incredible spell of swing and seam, taking five wickets in 22 balls during the morning session.

Bangladesh reached lunch at 35-6 and lasted barely an hour after the break as Starc and Cummins mopped up.

Only a last-wicket partnership of 25 between Taijul Islam (11 not out) and Shoriful Islam (14) took them past their lowest Test score of 43, against the West Indies in 2018.

Starc ended with 6-12 and Cummins took 3-25.

Australia started well in reply but then lost three wickets for 19 runs, leaving Steve Smith (six) and Cameron Green (one) with their work cut out.

Matt Renshaw, recalled for the first time since 2023 when opener Jake Weatherald was axed after Darwin, failed to repay selectors' faith, gone for eight after edging Taskin Ahmed to Tanzid Hasan at third slip.

Fellow opener Travis Head (22) was bowled by Shoriful who missed the first Test with an injury, before he repeated the feat with under-pressure Marnus Labuschagne (4), who was desperate for a big score.

Australia made a stunning start when Starc removed Shadman Islam with the first ball of the day, tempting a leading edge that Green did well to hold in the gully.

It was the fourth time the veteran left-armer has got a wicket with the maiden ball of a Test -- becoming the first player to do so -- and the ninth time he has achieved the feat in the opening over.

The 36-year-old sent Bangladesh's other opener Tanzid packing with the first ball of his second over, caught at slip by Beau Webster, then trapped captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw with his next delivery.

It left Bangladesh reeling at 3-9 in the third over.

The experienced Mushfiqur Rahim fended off Starc's hat-trick ball, but he was unstoppable and grabbed his fourth wicket in his third over.

This time, Mominul Haque was the victim in a similar dismissal to Shadman, undone by late swing to send a thick edge low to Green in the gully on nine.

Webster dropped a sitter at slip off Starc in his fourth over, but Litton Das' luck ran out next ball, out lbw on review as the visitors slumped to 5-12.

It was the 19th time Starc has taken five wickets in an innings and achieved in just 22 balls -- the sixth fastest of all-time.

Starc holds the record after taking five in only 15 balls against the West Indies in 2025.

Mushfiqur hung around for 41 balls but he had no answer when Cummins came on, bowled for five.

Cummins struck again after lunch to dismiss Mehidy Hasan Miraz for 11, taken brilliantly by Webster in the slips, before Hazlewood took care of Hasan Mahmud (10) eight balls later.

Bangladesh moved past their lowest Test score as the tailenders hit out, before Starc fittingly wrapped it up with the wicket of Shoriful.

D.Ch. Nadeau--SMC