Day 1 of AUS vs BAN 2nd Test sees 18 wickets tumble, with Mitchell Starc and Shoriful Islam each claiming six.

In a thrilling opening day of the second Test against Bangladesh, Mitchell Starc showcased his exceptional bowling skills by claiming a wicket with the very first ball of the match. By the end of the day, he had amassed an impressive six wickets, contributing to a total of 18 dismissals in a dramatic contest on Saturday. Bangladesh's Shoriful Islam, returning from injury, matched Starc's feat with his own six-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 6-35.

Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that captain Pat Cummins believed would pay off given the pitch conditions. “The wicket looks pretty good, but if there is any moisture in it, it might be this morning,” Cummins remarked prior to the match. Starc quickly validated his captain's judgment by dismissing Shadman Islam off a leading edge on the very first delivery, marking the fourth time in his career he achieved this remarkable feat.

Following his initial success, Starc continued to dismantle the Bangladeshi batting lineup, taking out Tanzid Hasan and then trapping captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw in the third over. Bangladesh, which had surprisingly won the first Test of the series, found itself in dire straits as Starc claimed his fourth wicket with a catch from Cameron Green, dismissing Mominul Haque for just 9 runs. Starc's relentless attack concluded with him trapping Litton Das lbw, finishing the day with astonishing figures of 6-12 from 10 overs, while Cummins added three wickets to the tally.

Bangladesh's innings ended in disarray, bowled out for a mere 64 shortly after lunch, marking their lowest total while batting first in Australia since 1932. The team's No. 11 batter, Shoriful Islam, emerged as the highest scorer with just 14 runs. The challenging pitch continued to pose difficulties for batting, as Australia's batsmen also struggled to find their rhythm.

Despite the early setbacks, Shoriful Islam made a remarkable comeback, demonstrating his prowess with the ball. His six-wicket haul helped Bangladesh regain some momentum, as Australia concluded the day at 165-8, with Cameron Green remaining unbeaten on 51 and Nathan Lyon on 10. This left Australia with a commanding 101-run lead as they headed into the second day of the Test.