Updates from the Great Barrier Reef Arena
9m agoWICKET! Mahmud c Lyon b Hazlewood 10 (Bangladesh 38-8)
15m agoWICKET! Mehidy c Webster b Cummins 11 (Bangladesh 36-7)
1h agoLunch: Bangladesh 35-6
2h agoWICKET! Mushfiqur b Cummins 5 (Bangladesh 21-6)
2h agoWICKET! Das LBW Starc 0 (Bangladesh 12-5)
3h agoWICKET! Mominul c Green b Starc 9 (Bangladesh 10-4)
3h agoWICKET! Shanto LBW Starc 0 (Bangladesh 9-3)
3h agoWICKET! Tanzid c Webster b Starc 0 (Bangladesh 9-2)
3h agoWICKET! Shadman c Green b Starc 0 (Bangladesh 0-1)
4h agoAustralia win the toss and will bowl first
27th over: Bangladesh 38-8 (Taijul 0, Taskin 0) Taijul survives, unconvincingly. Australia are enjoying the extra bounce on offer in Mackay, making sure to remind the Bangladesh batters they have a bouncer up their sleeves should they choose to utilise it.
26th over: Bangladesh 38-8 (Taijul 0, Taskin 0) 43 is currently Bangladesh’s lowest Test total. That was in the West Indies in 2018.
Yes, is the answer to whether Australia can run through the Bangladesh tail. After offering little from over the wicket Hazlewood shifts around, Cummins brings in a leg gully, and Mahmud immediately obliges.
25th over: Bangladesh 36-7 (Mahmud 8, Taijul 0) Webster has gone some way to redeeming himself following that earlier howler. Can Australia knock over the tail quicksmart?
Mehidy gives his wicket away, driving a delivery on the up, on a length, a long way from his body, and Webster takes a very smart catch diving to his right at third slip. Cummins has just his third wicket of the series.
24th over: Bangladesh 36-6 (Mehidy 11, Mahmud 8) Hazlewood resumes after lunch. Mahmud is stout in defence. A no ball is the only addition to the score.
“Every time Cameron Green bowls it looks like someone has told him to bang it in, rather than find a line and length. But of course that’s immaterial now that he is definitely Australia’s star batter,” emails Eamonn Maloney.
I am increasingly confused by Green’s role in this side, or perhaps that should be Webster’s presence in it? Born and raised in England I am well acquainted with the knots selectors can tie themselves in to find a balanced XI. The history of English cricket has long been tied to the fortunes of one talismanic individual, be it Botham, Flintoff, or Stokes.
Australia, by contrast, just go out and pick their best six batters, wicket keeper, three pace bowlers and spinner. There’d be some tinkering around the margins, especially overseas, but everyone knew where they stood.
Does Webster fit in either camp? Selectors have clearly decided Green fits in the top six, as does Alex Carey, but do those calls come at the expense of a more opaque overall strategy? Did Australia benefit this morning by having six bowling options, and using Webster more than Green or Lyon?
That session was all about one spell from Mitchell Starc. He struck with the opening ball of the match and by the seventh over had all five wickets as Bangladesh crumbled to 12-5. A few deliveries swung early on, and there has been consistent movement off the seam, but it wasn’t great batting by the visiting top order, especially Shadman and Tanzid, playing a long way from their bodies.
The main difference for the tourists is the extra bounce on offer in Mackay compared to Darwin. Unsettled by the lift off a length they’ve been unable to get on top of any Australian bowler and the early burst of wickets has meant the home side have been able to ease through their mostly mediocre spells without having to chase wickets.
Australia’s catching has been excellent – one horrendous drop from Webster aside – and Cummins can be praised for his call at the toss and setting relentlessly attacking fields. This is the fightback he demanded.
23rd over: Bangladesh 35-6 (Mehidy 11, Mahmud 8) Mehidy loses concentration a fraction, wafting outside off to a Starc delivery angling away. But it’s another over lacking purpose, too short and not revealing an obvious plan of attack.
Time for lunch.
22nd over: Bangladesh 35-6 (Mehidy 11, Mahmud 8) Australia’s oddly passive spell continues with Hazlewood wasting most of an over with some harmless loopy bouncers – then ripping an absolute beauty away from Mahmud’s outside edge and a whisker from the longer spigot of the off bail.
21st over: Bangladesh 35-6 (Mehidy 11, Mahmud 8) Mahmud with a contender for shot of the day, presenting a straight blade to a length delivery and easing the ball down the ground for four, sending Starc’s figures careening from 5/6 to the profligate 5/10.
Since the eighth over Bangladesh have dug in and Australia have fashioned very little. Perhaps it’s time to see how Nathan Lyon’s spin fares on this track?
20th over: Bangladesh 29-6 (Mehidy 10, Mahmud 3) It’s a double change with Hazlewood replacing Cummins. He returns to find Bangladesh propping onto the front foot and applying themselves to defence-first rebuild cricket.
19th over: Bangladesh 27-6 (Mehidy 9, Mahmud 2) Mitchell Starc gets his second spell of the session as Cummins hunts for a quick kill. His star man almost repays his skipper immediately, beating Mehidy for pace on off stump. Bangladesh’s last recognised batter regroups, presenting the full face of his straight bat to the remainder of the over.
18th over: Bangladesh 27-6 (Mehidy 9, Mahmud 2) Hasan Mahmud averages just 12.6 from his 16 Tests and he looks ill at ease as Cummins hurls down a maiden. Australia are into the Bangladesh tail well before lunch on the opening day of this match.
17th over: Bangladesh 27-6 (Mehidy 9, Mahmud 2) Webster has not looked consistently threatening in his three over spell, one that surely comes to end when he’s cracked through mid-off by Mehidy with the shot of the day so far. I am increasingly puzzled by his role in this team if Cameron Green is fit.
16th over: Bangladesh 23-6 (Mehidy 5, Mahmud 2) Bangladesh have, perhaps unsurprisingly, failed to adapt to the extra bounce of the Mackay track. The consequence has been jousting at length deliveries from the crease and failing to know decisively when to come forward or when to play back. The bowling has been fine, but hardly 23-6 devastating.
Cummins hasn’t landed that many deliveries on a testing line and length, but the ones he has have really threatened. He finds that optimal delivery to Mushfiqur pitching on a good length on off-stump, jagging the ball off the seam to clip the top of middle. No 10-for for Starc.
15th over: Bangladesh 21-5 (Mushfiqur 5, Mehidy 5) After that hectic start things have settled down in Mackay. Bangladesh are even starting to throw their hands at a couple of Webster deliveries but have yet to find the right timing on this surface.
14th over: Bangladesh 20-5 (Mushfiqur 5, Mehidy 5) Every so often Australia have found lift from a length. Cummins is the latest, collecting Mushfiqur’s gloves and midriff. He then gets a little preoccupied with the short stuff, which is mostly of a looping tennis ball bounce.
13th over: Bangladesh 20-5 (Mushfiqur 5, Mehidy 5) Mitchell Starc gets a rest after a spell of six overs five for five. Beau Webster comes on, but it only takes him three deliveries to create a chance. A routine line and length delivery goes through to Carey without much fanfare but the bowler is convinced there’s an edge, unfurling an understated celbrappeal. Cummins is reluctantly convinced to review but DRS gives no indication of an outside edge. Mushfiqur capitalises, clipping a leg-stump half-volley for three.
This partnership is starting to bed in.
12th over: Bangladesh 17-5 (Mushfiqur 2, Mehidy 5) Cummins resumes after drinks by angling a ball just short of a good length into Mehidy then watching it jag hard off the seam and past the outside edge. He then finds a fuller length and almost gets his fingertips to a return catch but can’t stretch far enough to his right in his follow through. whenever Bangladesh attempt to play anything other than a dead bat from the crease they look at the immediate risk of losing their wicket.
11th over: Bangladesh 15-5 (Mushfiqur 2, Mehidy 3) Starc extends his spell into a rare sixth over, and with figures of 5/5 why wouldn’t he? His line and length is less threatening to the right-handers though after cleaning up the surfeit of top-order lefties, slanting the ball too wide of off stump from over the wicket.
Drinks.
10th over: Bangladesh 15-5 (Mushfiqur 2, Mehidy 3) Cummins brings himself on, sensing an opportunity to pad his stats, and immediately hits a good line and length. Mehidy holds his nerve, defends stoutly from the crease, and works a handy couple through mid-off for his diligence.
9th over: Bangladesh 13-5 (Mushfiqur 2, Mehidy 1) Starc in fails to get a wicket shocker! Read all about it! Read all about it! He does have an LBW appeal turned down and almost induces an inside-edge play-on, but that escape also allows Mehidy to get off the mark.
8th over: Bangladesh 12-5 (Mushfiqur 2, Mehidy 0) Mushfiqur demonstrates textbook defensive technique from the crease to see off Hazlewood for a maiden.
Starc, meanwhile, now averages 19 from his past 17 Tests at a strike-rate of 33.
7th over: Bangladesh 12-5 (Mushfiqur 2, Mehidy 0) Beau Webster breathes a huge sigh of relief. Mitchell Starc moves past Dale Steyn into tenth spot on the list of all-time Test wicket-takers. Bangladesh brace themselves for calamity.
The next delivery Starc, desperate for a five-for, invites Cummins to review an LBW appeal after pinning Das to the crease with a fuller delivery, the perfect follow-up to the shorter lifter. Was there an inside edge? No. Did it pitch in line? Yes. Did it move too much? No? Did it bounce too much? No! Starc has five wickets in four overs!
DROP! Webster drops an absolute sitter! Short from Starc, off the shoulder of the bat and the ball lobs gently to Webster at third slip but the allrounder somehow spills the easiest of chances.
6th over: Bangladesh 12-4 (Mushfiqur 2, Litton 0) Mushfiqur gets off the mark with a couple through the offside but Hazlewood doesn’t allow him to settle, finding some extra bounce off a length to rap the right-hander on his gloves. That extra bounce counts against the New South Welshman at the conclusion of the over when a hearty LBW appeal is declined, presumably on height.
5th over: Bangladesh 10-4 (Mushfiqur 0, Litton 0) Mitchell Starc has 4/4 from 18 deliveries. Scintliating bowling, superb catching, and Australia are responding ferociously to last week’s humbling.
Crisis! What crisis?
Cummins has set his fields to invite the drive, leaving the V wide open. Starc honours his skipper superbly, curving the new ball away from Mominul’s grope on a perfect full length from the third delivery, then returning to the same line and length two balls later to entice the edge, Green doing the rest in the gully with an excellent low catch that requires DRS confirmation.
4th over: Bangladesh 10-3 (Mominul 9, Mushfiqur 0) Hazlewood is cruising in the low 120s kph so far, but his line and length is textbook, drawing Mushfiqur into a loose drive that lands just short of Webster at gully. He also slips in a bouncer that surprises the veteran, reminding him this surface is very different to the low slow front-foot track rolled out in Darwin.
3rd over: Bangladesh 9-3 (Mominul 8, Mushfiqur 0) Cummins’ call to field first has been vindicated inside three overs thanks to Starc’s incredible ability to find early wickets. All three dismissals were left-handers. Mushfiqur is the first right-hander in the middle and Starc struggled to readjust to the change of line following his arrival.
Starc’s hat-trick ball does not trouble Mushfiqur.
Starc is on a hat-trick! His first ball to Shanto is fast and straight, beats the inside edge, thunders into the pads and looks very out. The Bangladesh skipper reviews but DRS again comes down Australia’s way despite an umpire’s call on the delivery only clipping leg stump. This is exactly the response Australia demanded after the Darwin humiliation. Starc has 3/4 from eight deliveries!
Starc has two! A yorker length delivery outside off stump has Tanzid jabbing an aimless prod with leaden feet and jarring a thick edge to Webster at third slip. The dismissal required DRS confirmation for the possibility of a bump ball but replays quickly confirmed Tanzid had to walk.
2nd over: Bangladesh 9-1 (Tanzid 0, Mominul 8) Josh Hazlewood shares the new ball and immediately finds some swing with the new ball back into Bangladesh’s left-handers from over the wicket. With that shape through the air the one that seams away off the deck becomes unplayable, which is what happens from the third ball of the over, beating Mominul around his off stump. Bangladesh’s first drop returns fire by whipping a half-volley off his pads for four through midwicket, but it was uppish and interested the flying Cummins at wide mid-on.
1st over: Bangladesh 4-1 (Tanzid 0, Mominul 4) After his pearler of an opening delivery Starc’s radar went a tad wayward, allowing Mominul to tickle a fine boundary off his pads to get Bangladesh up and running. Perhaps sensing the need to get through the crease more energetically the paceman ended the over by testing the middle of the pitch, extracting some appreciable pace and bounce that will please the home fans.
That is the fourth time Starc has taken a Test wicket with his opening delivery. In fairness it was only a 134kph loosener.
It is also the second time in a matter of days the opening ball of a Test has taken a wicket with Ollie Robinson on the money for England against Pakistan at Headingley.
Can Starc strike early? Is first ball early enough? Full and straight from over the wicket, drawing Shadman forward, catching the outside edge, and safe hands Green does the rest in the gully. Australia off to a flyer!
Mitchell Starc has the new ball at the top of his mark. Can he strike early?
The two teams are on the boundary for the Welcome to Country and national anthems. Mackay is bathed in morning sunshine and a healthy crowd is beginning to enjoy the relaxed surrounds and grass banks.
Bangladesh have also made one change with rangy left-armer Shoriful Islam replacing Ebadot Hossain in the attack.
The XI selected will go in full of confidence, as skipper Shanto explained earlier this week. “When you score against this kind of team, it gives you a lot of confidence going forward when we play in these kind of conditions or against this kind of bowling attack.”
Shadman, Tanzid, Mominul, Shanto (c), Mushfiqur, Litton, Mehidy, Hasan, Taijul, Taskin, Shoriful.
Matt Renshaw is confirmed as the seventh opener auditioning to fill the void left by David Warner’s retirement in January 2024.
There was also serious consideration given to selecting Scott Boland ahead of Nathan Lyon. Had that occurred it would have been the first time in over a decade that Lyon had missed out in a red (not pink) ball match in Australia, and goes to show how the GOAT is no longer guaranteed a default spot in the Australian XI.
However, had Boland been selected it would have given Cummins six front-line seamers to choose from, including the two allrounders, which seems a very un-Australian way to pick a team and testament to the imperfect nature of this squad.
Head, Renshaw, Labuschagne, Smith, Green, Carey, Webster, Cummins (c), Starc, Lyon, Hazlewood
Pat Cummins won the toss, and in line with prematch discussions, reckons the pitch will offer the most with the new ball on day one, then flatten out and be ideal for batting on days two and three. He will hope his pace attack can exploit the extra bounce in the surface from the off and catch Bangladesh cold.
The pitch is expected to offer more bounce than Darwin, which will suit the extra height and pace in Australia’s attack, and provide the kind of challenge visiting batters often struggle to adapt to.
Groundsman Peter Kazakoff has noted “similarities” to the Gabba, a comparison Steve Smith also made after spending some time in the practise nets.
Bangladesh captain Shanto was unfazed by the possibility of a less favourable surface. “We have different plans. We are not going to play every single Test match in the same way. We try to adjust to the conditions. We try to focus on how they’re going to attack us, and prepare that way. We play differently in the subcontinent. Sometimes it depends on the conditions, the surface, and the bowling attack. So for the last Test match, the plan was that we need to be patient enough. We are not the most experienced side, so sometimes we just have to be patient.”
The weather forecast indicates we are in for up-to five days of glorious Queensland sunshine, with temperatures hovering around the mid-20s.
Bangladesh coach Phil Simmons has done a monumental job with this team, especially on the mental side of Test cricket. After convincing his side they could compete with Australia in Darwin his task is now to keep his players on task in Mackay.
“It’s a proud moment for all of the players - even ex-cricketers from Bangladesh. But it’s done; I think It’s gone. We need to play five days of good cricket again. This is a very important Test match for us to do well against this bowling and batting attack. We did a great job but we need to focus on this Test match and we have very much prepared ourselves for the last couple of days.”
Today marks the Test debut of the Queensland coastal town of Mackay, joining 11 previous men’s Test venues in Australia. Mackay is on the border of central and northern Queensland, and overlooks the Coral Sea.
The town’s sporting precinct was originally christened Harrup Park, with the cricket oval named in honour of long-time adminitsrator Ray Mitchell. However, since 2018 it has taken on the far more exotic title of the Great Barrier Reef Arena.
The maiden first-class match was played in 1995, but the second didn’t arrive for another 20 years. On that occasion New South Wales defeated Queensland in the Sheffield Shield but remains notable today for the match’s top scorer, young Bulls opener Matt Renshaw, who struck 170.
Sport coverage is powered by hyperbole and recency bias, but the following statement is justifiable: Bangladesh’s defeat of Australia in Darwin is the most profound upset, the greatest revolt against the pre-game odds, in international cricket history. Australia’s win in England in 1882 so shocked locals that they published a cremation-themed obituary, but the same result had already happened four times on the other side of the world. Zimbabwe stunned India in 1998, but that was at least in the underdogs’ home conditions.
Welcome to live OBO coverage of the second Test between Australia and Bangladesh from the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay. Play begins at 10am AEST.
As Australian sporting attention remains trained on the winter football codes the men’s cricket team somehow finds itself in the spotlight.
Last week they were comprehensively outplayed by Bangladesh in the first Test of what was expected to be an off-Broadway soft launch to an epic 12 month odyssey. By this time next year Australia will have touched down in South Africa, India, and England, with the conclusion of the 2027 Ashes expected to be accompanied by a host of retirements and a major changing of the guard.
Far from a regulation victory, Darwin proved catastrophic for the confident hosts. We will find out in Mackay if this was an undercooked side easing into its work or possibly the cause for greater concern.
Selectors saw enough to curtail Jake Weatherald’s international ambitions after just six Tests. The nearly 32-year-old opener averaged just 20 and demonstrated the kind of technical issues with his footwork and blade path that are ill-suited to being rectified in the glare of Test cricket.
Nearly 10 years after debuting as a 20-year-old, Matt Renshaw is the next cab off the rank to audition for the role of Australian Test opener.
Other names in the spotlight this weekend will be Marnus Labuschagne and Nathan Lyon. First drop turned 32 recently and hasn’t struck a century since 2023, since when he’s averaged 25 from 22 matches. Lyon, Australia’s spin-bowling lynchpin for 15 years, is almost 39 and increasingly familiar with the physio’s table. He underwhelmed on his return from a major hamstring strain, and is one of the few players to face serious competition for his place from outside the squad with Corey Rocchiccioli name-checked frequently by the former internationals on TV duty in Darwin.
