Darwin gave Bangladesh history while Mackay gave Australia revenge. One week separated the two most contrasting Test performances either side has produced in this series. Bangladesh went from historic heroes to historic humiliation. Mitchell Starc went from anonymous in Darwin to untouchable in Mackay. Australia Innings Win as Series ends 1-1. And the records that fell in Queensland will be talked about for years.
The Result That Ended the Series
Mitchell Starc’s 10-wicket match haul lifted Australia to a morale-boosting victory by an innings and 51 runs, levelling the two-match series against Bangladesh inside two days. Australia won at 3:08 PM local time on Day 2.
The win was the second shortest Test ever played in Australia. It was the fourth shortest Test of all time. It was the first time Bangladesh had been bowled out for under 100 twice in a Test. It was also the first time any side had been bowled out twice for under 100 in both innings in 21 years. Those are not ordinary records. They are once-in-a-generation statistics attached to one extraordinary match.
Australia’s First Innings: Green and Lyon Steady the Ship
Australia batted on Day 1 after Bangladesh were bowled out for 64. They had their own difficulties on a spicy Mackay surface. They were not immune to the conditions.
Australia posted 210 all out with Cameron Green top-scoring on 67 and Steve Smith contributing 42. The first innings lead was 146 runs. That was always going to be enough on this surface. Shoriful Islam was the standout Bangladesh bowler, taking 7 for 48. Bangladesh fought hard with the ball even when they had nothing with the bat.
Starc’s Second Innings: Four More Wickets
Starc had six wickets in the first innings. He needed four more in Bangladesh’s second innings to complete his haul. He did not take long.
Shadman Islam was squared up again, giving Marnus Labuschagne a simple catch at point. Mominul Haque was bowled next ball, leaving a fuller length ball that clipped his off stump. Tanzid Hasan holed out at deep fine leg when he hooked Cummins. The top order fell again. The pattern from the first innings repeated itself almost exactly.
Starc started his third spell with Taijul Islam’s wicket, which completed his ten-wicket haul. A hard length ball angling in on the stumps caught Taijul completely by surprise as he tried to play across the line. He got nowhere near it and the ball crashed into the top of his leg stump.
Bangladesh’s Second Innings: 95 All Out
Bangladesh could only manage 95 in their second innings. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 31 and Mushfiqur Rahim was unbeaten on 29. Those two batters provided Bangladesh’s only genuine resistance.
Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon each took three wickets to support Starc. Cummins finished with 3 for 25 in the second innings. Lyon took 3 for 25. Hazlewood supported without being as dangerous. The entire Australia attack was on point. Bangladesh had no answer for any of it.
The Historic Records That Fell at Mackay
The statistics from this match are extraordinary. They deserve their own space. It was the first time Bangladesh had been bowled out for under 100 twice in a Test. It was also the first time any side had been bowled out twice for under 100 in both innings in 21 years.
Bangladesh posted 64 in their first innings. They posted 95 in their second. The combined total of 159 runs across both innings is one of the lowest ever recorded by a touring side in Australia. The surface aided Australia but that does not fully explain the collapse. Bangladesh’s batting technique against the moving ball in Australian conditions was exposed completely in this second Test.
Starc Named Player of the Match and Player of the Series
Player of the Match and Player of the Series is Mitchell Starc. He said it was a much better week. He said they knew they were not at their best in Darwin. He acknowledged that Bangladesh played really well in Darwin and said to take nothing away from them there. He said what they expected from themselves this week is what they got, particularly with the ball on a wicket that aided them.
Those words captured the Australian response perfectly. Not arrogant. Not dismissive of Bangladesh’s Darwin achievement. Just professional acknowledgment of a week where everything that was wrong in Darwin was fixed in Mackay.
Starc’s match figures of 10 for 51 gave him his fourth career 10-wicket match haul in Tests. He joins a small list of Australian bowlers to achieve that milestone. His six wickets for 12 in Bangladesh’s first innings remains the most remarkable individual bowling performance in this series.
What Shanto Said After the Loss
Bangladesh captain Shanto said it is a different condition to the first Test in Darwin and there is a little bit more extra bounce and swing in the air. He said it was challenging for them but that as a team, if they want to go forward, they need to adjust and he hoped this experience will help going forward.
That is the response of a captain who understands exactly what happened. He is not making excuses. He is acknowledging that the conditions in Mackay were different from Darwin and that Bangladesh’s batting technique was not equipped to handle them. The learning from Mackay will inform how Bangladesh prepare for their next tour of Australia.
What the Drawn Series Means
The series ended 1-1. Neither side won. But both sides achieved something significant. Bangladesh won a Test in Australia for the first time in their history. Australia levelled with one of the most dominant innings victories Australian cricket has produced in recent years. Neither result cancels the other out.
For Bangladesh, the Darwin Test remains the defining achievement of their red-ball cricket history regardless of what happened in Mackay. The journey that led Bangladesh to that Darwin victory, including their ODI series win over Australia earlier this year, is explored in our piece on Bangladesh making history with their first ODI series win over Australia.
The Darwin Test win stands as the greatest result Bangladesh cricket has ever produced. Mackay puts the series level but cannot remove that achievement.
WTC Impact of the Drawn Series
Both teams collect six WTC points from the drawn series. Bangladesh take 12 from their Darwin win. Australia take 12 from Mackay. Both sides earn six each from the draw. That distribution matters in the WTC standings.
Both sides look at their qualifying position heading into the remaining fixtures of the current cycle. The full picture of how those points affect both countries’ Final qualification chances is explored in our piece on the ICC World Test Championship 2025-2027 format and how it works.
Conclusion
Mitchell Starc took 10 wickets for 51 runs across two days in Mackay. Australia won by an innings and 51 runs. The series ended 1-1. Bangladesh were bowled out for under 100 twice. It was the second shortest Test ever played in Australia. The fourth shortest in history. Starc was Player of the Match and Player of the Series. Darwin belongs to Bangladesh. Mackay belongs entirely to Mitchell Starc. Cricket will remember both matches for very different reasons. Neither side would swap their week.
