What a crazy day 1 we had at Mackay as the Great Barrier Reef Arena made its debut as a Test venue and two left-armers from both sides stood out in Australia’s Mitchell Starc and Bangladesh’s Shoriful Islam. Both finished with 6-wicket hauls as a staggering 18 wickets fell on the first day’s play. Bangladesh who were put into bat first were rolled over for 64 in 34 overs before Australia struggled their way through to 165/8 in 40 overs.
Australia’s performers of the day were Starc, Pat Cummins the captain while Cameron Green shone with the bat for Australia as he is still unbeaten out there with Nathan Lyon. Bangladesh’s batting floundered big time and despite their bowlers trying to make a match out of it, it is safe to say there are behind the game. Australia are still ahead and will look to heap further misery on Bangladesh when the match resumes tomorrow.
Mitchell Starc’s 5-wicket haul dismantles Bangladesh in the morning session
Put into bat first, Shadman Islam and Tanzid Hasan opened the batting for Bangladesh while Mitchell Starc had the ball in hand for Australia. Starc gave Australia the perfect start as he removed Shadman off the first ball of the match for a golden duck as the ball carried to Cameron Green at gully. Mominul Haque came out to bat next as he flicked the ball through fine leg for a boundary. Josh Hazlewood shared the new ball from the other end. Mominul flicked the ball past midwicket for another boundary.
Starc continued and he got another as he removed Tanzid for a silver duck as the edge carried to Beau Webster at third slip. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto came out to bat next and was adjudged LBW first ball for a golden duck. Shanto reviewed but umpire’s call on hitting the stumps meant the decision stood, but the review was saved. Mushfiqur Rahim came out to bat next to face the hat-trick ball and survived it. Starc completed a double wicket maiden over. Hazlewood continued and bowled a decent over.
Starc continued and got another as he removed Mominul for 9 off 16 balls with 2 fours to his name as the ball squeezed it to Green at gully. Litton Das came out to bat next. Hazlewood continued and bowled a decent over. Starc continued as Litton was dropped by Webster at gully. Starc removed Litton off the very next ball as the umpire gave it NOT OUT initially. The Aussies reviewed and got the decision overturned in their favour. Mehidy Hasan Miraz came out to bat next as Starc had completed his five-wicket haul.
Hazlewood continued and bowled a maiden. Starc bowled a tight over again. Captain Pat Cummins came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Starc continued and bowled a maiden. Bangladesh were 15/5 in 11 overs when Drinks was taken in the morning session. Cummins continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Beau Webster came out to bowl next. Australia burnt a review against Rahim for caught behind as there was no spike on Ultra Edge. Rahim managed to get a triple through the midwicket region.
Cummins continued and bowled a maiden over. Webster continued and overstepped as well. Cummins then struck for Australia as he removed the veteran Rahim for 5 off 42 balls as the batter chopped it onto the stumps. Hasan Mahmud came out to bat next and got off the mark with a couple. Webster continued as Miraz drove it past mid-off for a boundary. Cummins continued and bowled a maiden.
Starc came back into the attack and delivered a maiden. Hazlewood returned and bowled a decent over. Starc continued as Mahmud leant forward and drove it past mid-off for a boundary. Hazlewood continued and bowled a maiden. Starc continued to bowl the last over before Lunch and bowled another maiden. Bangladesh were reeling at 35/6 in 23 overs with Miraz unbeaten on 11 off 48 balls alongside Mahmud unbeaten on 8 off 24 balls as Lunch on Day 1.
Pat Cummins cleans up the tail as Bangladesh are bowled out for 64; Australia lose 3 in the afternoon session
Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud came out to resume proceedings for Bangladesh while Josh Hazlewood had the ball in hand for Australia. Hazlewood overstepped to start the session. He bowled a decent over. Pat Cummins had the ball in hand from the other end. He removed Miraz straightaway as he got the outside edge through to Webster at third slip who made no mistake. Taijul Islam came out to bat as a wicket maiden over ended from Cummins.
Hazlewood continued and removed Mahmud for 10 off 36 balls with one four to his name as the batter tickled the ball straight to Lyon at leg slip. Taskin Ahmed came out to bat next. Cummins continued and delivered a maiden. Hazlewood continued and bowled a decent over. Cummins continued and struck for Australia as Taskin looked to pull and get a top edge to Matthew Renshaw at midwicket who takes the catch easily. Shoriful Islam came out to bat next.
Islam cut the ball away past backward point for a boundary. Hazlewood continued as Taijul square drove it past baclward point for a boundary. Cummins continued as Shoriful went straight down the ground past long-off for a boundary. The 50 came up for Bangladesh in 30.4 overs. Shoriful was on the attack and played the square drive past backward point for a boundary. Hazlewood continued and bowled a tight over.
Cummins continued as Taijul drove it through covers for a boundary. Starc returned as he changed ends and removed Shoriful for 14 off 19 balls with 3 fours to his name. The outside edge easily carried to Alex Carey. Taijul remained unbeaten on 11 off 26 balls with 2 fours to his name as Bangladesh were rolled over for 64 in 34 overs. 3 extras given by the fielding side.
For Australia’s bowling point of view, Mitchell Starc was the star with figures of 6/12 in 10 overs. Captain Pat Cummins chipped in with 3/25 in 10 overs. Josh Hazlewood finished with 1/18 in 11 overs. Beau Webster bowled 3 overs and gave away 8 runs. Just 4 bowlers used by Australia as they got the job done with the ball and now was their turn with the bat in hand.
Travis Head and Matthew Renshaw came out to open the batting for Australia while Taskin Ahmed had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Taskin started by gifting 4 byes down the leg side as a bonus to the batting side. Taskin overstepped as well. Hasan Mahmud had the ball in hand from the other end. Renshaw then opened the bat face and played it through the gully region for a boundary. Taskin continued as Head pushed it away through backward point for a boundary.
Taskin struck first blood for Bangladesh as he removed Renshaw for 8 off 10 balls with one four to his name as he got the edge through to Mahmud at third slip. Marnus Labuschagne came out to bat next. Head then flashed hard against Mahmud with a late square drive between gully and backward point region for a boundary. Taskin continued as Marnus got off the mark with an outside edge between third slip and gully for a boundary.
Mahmud continued as Head cut it away past backward point for a boundary. Taskin continued as Head flicked it away through midwicket for a boundary. Shoriful Islam came into the attack next. Shoriful struck for Bangladesh straightaway as he removed Head for 22 off 27 balls with 4 fours to his name as he looked to cut and got the inside edge back onto the stumps. Steve Smith came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Shoriful had two in the over as he knocked Marnus as the ball hit the thigh pad and onto the leg stump. Labuschagne fell for 4 off 9 balls with one four to his name.
Cameron Green came out to bat next. Taskin continued and overstepped as well. He overstepped again twice in the same over. Shoriful continued to bowl the final over before Tea as the 50 came up for Australia in 9.5 overs. Australia were 50/3 in 10 overs with Smith unbeaten on 6 off 11 balls alongside Green on 1 off 7 balls as the players left the field for Tea on Day 1. Australia trailed Bangladesh by 14 runs at this stage.
Shoriful Islam’s 6-wicket haul pegs Australia back; Cameron Green holds fort in an absorbing final session
Steve Smith and Cameron Green came out to resume proceedings for Australia while Hasan Mahmud had the ball in hand for Bangladesh. Mahmud started the session with a maiden. Shoriful Islam had the ball from the other end and bowled a maiden over as well. Mahmud continued as Smith drove it down the ground for a boundary. Smith again looked to play the pull shot and got an inside edge that rolled down to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Shoriful continued and conceded 4 leg byes as a bonus to the batting team.
Mahmud continued as he conceded 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Green then drove it uppishly past backward point for a boundary. Shoriful continued as Smith pulled it away past backward square leg for a boundary. Smith again shuffled across and drove it past midwicket for a boundary. Mahmud continued as Green clipped it away through midwicket for a boundary. Green once again hammered the ball through midwicket for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up between the two players.
Taskin Ahmed returned and bowled a decent over. Taijul Islam came into the attack next and bowled a decent over. Taskin continued and bowled a maiden. Taijul continued as the 100 came up for Australia in 20.1 overs. Taskin continued and kept things under check. Taijul too bowled a decent over. Taskin continued and overstepped. Smith got the width offered and cut it away past backward point for a boundary. Taijul continued as Smith rocked back and pulled it away through midwicket for a boundary.
Shoriful Islam returned and struck for Bangladesh as he removed Smith for 42 off 74 balls with 6 fours to his name LBW. Smith reviewed and it was seen as Umpire’s call on Impact and hitting the wickets and so, he had to depart. The review was retained by Australia. Drinks was taken at this stage after which keeper batter Alex Carey came out to bat next. Hasan Mahmud returned and delivered a maiden.
Shoriful continued as Green got a top edge through deep backward square leg and beat the rushing fielder for a boundary. Mahmud continued as Green drove the ball past short covers for a boundary and then punched off the back foot past backward point for a boundary. Shoriful continued as Green pierced the gap to clip it in front of square for a boundary. Green was in his zone as he played the off-drive through cover and mid-off for a boundary.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz came into the attack next. Carey got a triple through the deep point region. Miraz provided the breakthrough for Bangladesh as he removed Carey for 5 off 8 balls who tried to take it on and miscued it to Mahmud at mid-on who took the catch. Beau Webster came out to bat next. Shoriful continued and removed Webster for a golden duck LBW. The batter reviewed in hope and saw three reds on ball tracking. Captain Pat Cummins walked out to bat next.
Shoriful had two in the over as he bounced out Cummins who fended it off to the keeper Litton Das as Shoriful completed his 5-wicket haul. Mitchell Starc came out to bat next. Mahmud continued and bowled a decent over. Shoriful continued and got his 6th wicket as he removed Starc for 1 off 6 balls by cleaning his off-stump up. Nathan Lyon got off the mark straightaway with a brace as no ball was called due to three fielders being behind square on the leg side. Shoriful ended a good over.
Mahmud continued as Green survived a close run out check at the striker’s end by getting back in the crease on time. Taskin continued as Lyon slashed it away past backward point for a boundary. Mahmud continued as Lyon cut it away through backward point and gully for a boundary. Taskin continued and bowled a tight over. Taijul returned to the attack as Green reached his fifty in 80 balls by holding the innings together and taking the lead to 100 for the Aussies.
Shoriful returned for the final over of the day, and he bowled a decent over to end the day’s play. Green is unbeaten on 51 off 81 balls with 8 fours to his name while Lyon is with him unbeaten on 10 off 28 balls with 2 fours to his name as Australia finished the day at 165/8 in 40 overs leading Bangladesh by 101 runs in the first innings with 2 wickets in hand. 22 extras were given by Bangladesh.
Shoriful Islam was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 6/35 in 11 overs. Taskin Ahmed chipped in with 1/41 in 11 overs. Mehidy Hasan Miraz chipped in with 1/4 in 1 overs. Hasan Mahmud finished the day with 0/56 in 12 overs. Taijul Islam finished the day with 0/13 in 5 overs. Australia have their noses in front after a dramatic first day’s play.
What Lies Ahead on Day 2
18 wickets fell on the first day and the two left-arm bowlers made headlines with 6-wicket hauls. Australia are ahead in this Test match as they lead by 101 runs with 2 wickets in hand. They would like to add a few more runs before coming back to bowl in the second innings. Bangladesh will look to wrap up the last two wickets as soon as possible and then bat a lot better than first innings.
There is plenty of time left in the Test match. There is forecast of rain or passing showers in Mackay but nothing to disrupt play totally. Let’s see how this game pans out on Day 2 which could be the last day of the Test and series.
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