Great Barrier Reef Arena became a stage for left-arm pace on the opening day of the second Test, with Mitchell Starc first tearing through Bangladesh’s batting before Shoriful Islam produced an equally important spell for the visitors.
Starc took six wickets as Bangladesh were dismissed for 64. Shoriful then responded with the best bowling performance of his Test career, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul against Australia on their home ground.
Shoriful returned to the Bangladesh XI after recovering from a hamstring injury. He missed the first Test in Darwin, where Bangladesh won by nine wickets, and came into the side as the only change, replacing Ebadot Hossain.
He made an immediate impact after Australia began their reply. In the eighth over, Shoriful bowled Travis Head for 22, with the opener once again dismissed by an inside edge in the series. Three balls later, Marnus Labuschagne was bowled for four when the ball deflected off his thigh pad and hit the leg stump.
Australia were 41 for three, but Steve Smith and Cameron Green then put together a 72-run partnership to steady the innings.
Shoriful returned for another spell and broke the stand by trapping Smith lbw for 42 from 74 balls. Smith reviewed the decision, but the ball-tracking showed umpire’s call for both impact and the wickets, leaving the original decision unchanged.
The left-arm seamer continued to make inroads. After Mehidy Hasan Miraz dismissed Alex Carey, Shoriful claimed three wickets in succession.
Beau Webster was trapped lbw, Pat Cummins was beaten by a short delivery, and Shoriful then bowled Mitchell Starc with a delivery that hit the top of off stump.
The sequence took Shoriful’s tally to six wickets. Australia lost three wickets between 145 and 148 runs, leaving eight batters back in the pavilion.
By then, however, Australia had established an 84-run lead over Bangladesh, who had been bowled out for 64 earlier in the day.
