Overview
- Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl, and on Saturday Mitchell Starc produced a brutal new-ball burst that included five wickets in 22 balls and finished with 6-12 to help bowl Bangladesh out for 64.
- Bangladesh pushed back later in the day through left-armer Shoriful Islam, who returned from injury to take 6-35 and rip through Australia’s top order as the hosts stumbled to 165-8 at stumps.
- Eighteen wickets fell across the opening day on a bouncy, Gabba‑like Great Barrier Reef Arena surface that favoured pace and swung the match between the two sides multiple times.
- Starc’s haul moved him up the all-time Test wicket list and included another first-ball wicket, while the performance restored immediate control for Australia after their surprise loss in the first Test at Darwin.
- With Australia holding a 101-run lead, the match — and the two-Test series — remains finely balanced and places pressure on the hosts to convert the first-innings advantage into a win to level the series.