AUS vs BAN 2nd Test: Australia Won by an Innings & 51 Runs in Just 2 Days

MACKAY: In a one-sided contest, Aus defeats Ban by an innings and 51 runs in just two days at the Great Barrier Reef Arena. Spearheaded by an unstoppable Mitchell Starc, the hosts bounded back from their shock defeat in Darwin to level the two-match AUS vs BAN series 1–1. 

The match will go down in history as the second-shortest Test ever played on Australian soil, lasting a mere five sessions. The defining story of the match was Australia’s absolute bowling supremacy. After winning the toss and electing to bowl on a surface that offered assistance to the quicks, the Australian pace battery left the Bangladeshi batting order completely exposed.

In the first innings, Bangladesh was bundled out for a paltry 64 runs in just 34 overs. Left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc was the destroyer-in-chief, generating lethal swing and venomous pace to finish with astonishing figures of 6 for 12. The touring batsmen had no answers to his probing lines, with Shoriful Islam’s 14 runs top-scoring in a dismal team display.

Australia's response with the bat was far from flawless, but it proved more than enough to establish a decisive advantage. The home side was bowled out for 210 in 52.3 overs, ahead by 146 runs. All-rounder Cameron Green anchored the innings with 67, while veteran batsman Steve Smith contributed a solid 42. 

Despite Australia’s batting collapse, Bangladesh's Shoriful Islam shone brightly amidst the gloom, claiming career-best figures of 7 for 48 to momentarily give the visitors a glimmer of hope. However, any thoughts of a Bangladeshi fightback were instantly crushed on Day 2. Facing a 146-run deficit, the tourists crumpled yet again under unrelenting pressure. Bangladesh was bowled out for just 95 runs in 38.3 overs during their second dig. 

Skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto offered resistance with a fighting 31, but he lacked any meaningful support from the opposite end. Starc continued his magical run, picking up 4 for 39 in the second innings to finish with a spectacular match haul of 10 for 51. He was ably supported by captain Pat Cummins, who snared a microscopic 3 for 10, and spinner Nathan Lyon, who cleaned up the tail with 3 for 25 just after the tea session.

This catastrophic batting performance marked the first time in Test cricket history that Bangladesh has been bowled out for double-digit scores in both innings of a single match. For his lethal display across both days, Mitchell Starc was rightfully named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series. 

With this emphatic victory, Australia vindicates its top ranking and extends its lead at the peak of the World Test Championship standings.