Mitchell Starc produced a devastating opening spell in Mackay on Saturday, ripping through Bangladesh’s top order to claim five wickets in the first session of the second Test and move past South African great Dale Steyn on the list of Test wicket-takers.Starc struck with the very first delivery of the match at the Great Barrier Reef Arena, removing opener Shadman Islam after a leading edge carried to gully. It was the fourth time the left-arm quick had taken a wicket with the opening ball of a Test.With Australia opting to bowl first after winning the toss, captain Pat Cummins had suggested there could be some early assistance for the seamers if there was moisture in the surface. Starc made full use of the conditions.He struck again in his third over, dismissing Tanzid Hasan before trapping Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto lbw. Mominul Haque then became Starc’s fourth victim when Nathan Green held a sharp grass-top catch, leaving Bangladesh in serious trouble.Starc completed his five-wicket haul by trapping Litton Das lbw, leaving Bangladesh at 29 for five. Cummins then joined the destruction, bowling Mushfiqur Rahim to reduce the visitors to 35 for six at lunch.Starc walked off with remarkable figures of 5-11 from nine overs.“Six in the first session, can’t beat that,” Starc told his wife, television commentator and former Australia captain Alyssa Healy while leaving the field. “Obviously a little bit of anger. It’s worked well so far, hopefully we can keep it up.”The spell also took Starc past Steyn’s 439 Test wickets. Starc moved to 440 wickets, strengthening his position among the most successful fast bowlers in Test history.
Most Test wickets among fast bowlers:
| Rank | Fast bowler | Country | Test wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Anderson | England | 704 |
| 2 | Stuart Broad | England | 604 |
| 3 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 563 |
| 4 | Courtney Walsh | West Indies | 519 |
| 5 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 440 |
| 6 | Dale Steyn | South Africa | 439 |
The performance was particularly significant for Australia after Bangladesh stunned them in the opening Test in Darwin. Bangladesh won that match to take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series, putting pressure on the Australian side and its selectors.Australia made one change for the second Test, replacing Jake Weatherald with Matt Renshaw, while Bangladesh brought in Shoriful Islam for Ebadot Hossain.The match is the beginning of a demanding 12-month period for Australia, with the team scheduled to play 20 Tests, including tours of South Africa, India and England.But on a sunny morning in Mackay, it was Starc who set the tone, turning the opening session into a one-man demolition job and leaving Bangladesh fighting simply to stay alive in the second Test.
