Mitchell Starc produced one of those spells that can change a Test match within a few overs. The Australia fast bowler tore through Bangladesh’s batting order in Mackay and played a major role in putting his team in control of the second Test.
Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first, and Starc immediately showed why the decision worked. He struck with the very first ball and kept the pressure on throughout the opening session.
Bangladesh never recovered. They slipped to 35/6 before lunch and eventually folded for just 64 runs. The spell also gave Starc another major achievement in Test cricket. His six wickets took his career tally beyond South African fast-bowling great Dale Steyn.
Mitchell Starc moves past Dale Steyn
Starc entered the second Test with 434 Test wickets. His six-wicket haul took him to 440 wickets, allowing him to move past Steyn’s tally of 439. The Australian pacer has now moved into 10th place on the all-time Test wicket-takers list.
It adds another milestone to a career that has already produced plenty of memorable moments. Starc had also moved past Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath earlier in the series to become the leading wicket-taker among left-arm bowlers in Test cricket. His latest achievement came during one of his most destructive spells in recent Test cricket.
Starc Strikes With the First Ball
Starc needed just one delivery to make an impact. He dismissed Shadman Islam with his opening ball, with the Bangladesh batter edging the delivery to gully. Bangladesh had not even opened their account when Starc delivered the first blow.
He kept finding movement and bounce from the Mackay pitch and made life extremely difficult for the Bangladesh batters. Starc then removed some of Bangladesh’s important players, including Tanzid Hasan and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.
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Both batters failed to score. Tanzid had made a century in the first Test in Darwin, so his early dismissal was particularly important for Australia. Starc’s ability to remove him cheaply gave the hosts an early advantage. Bangladesh quickly slipped to 35/6, leaving their lower order with the difficult task of trying to rescue the innings.
There was little resistance from the Bangladesh batting lineup after the early collapse. The visitors eventually lost all 10 wickets for only 64 runs in 34 overs. Shoriful Islam finished as their top scorer with just 14 runs.
The total became the fourth-lowest score in Bangladesh’s Test history. Starc finished with outstanding figures of 6/12 from 10 overs. He gave Australia exactly what they needed after the team had decided to bowl first.
His fifth wicket also created another talking point. Starc completed his five-wicket haul in only 22 deliveries, giving him the second-fastest five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The record also belongs to Starc. He took five wickets in only 15 balls against the West Indies in 2025.
Bangladesh won the Test opener by 9 wickets and took the first lead in the series. Australia went on to win the second game by an innings and 51 runs to level the series.
Starc’s latest performance adds another impressive chapter to his Test career. Moving beyond Steyn is particularly significant because the South African remains one of the most respected fast bowlers of the modern era. Starc has now moved ahead of him on the Test wicket list while continuing to play a key role in Australia’s bowling attack.
His six wickets in Mackay also showed that Starc can still produce devastating spells when conditions suit him. From the very first delivery to his final wicket, the left-arm quick kept Bangladesh under pressure.
