Starc's five-wicket haul puts Bangladesh on back foot in second Test

Mitchell Starc made an immediate impact in Australia's second Test against Bangladesh, removing opener Shadman Islam with the opening ball of the match to set the tone for a dominant morning session. The experienced fast bowler went on to claim five wickets in the first session, dismantling Bangladesh's top-order batting on a pitch that offered early assistance.

After winning the toss, Australia elected to bowl, with captain Pat Cummins identifying moisture in the wicket as a potential advantage. His assessment proved prescient as Starc capitalised on the conditions, with Islam caught at gully off a leading edge—marking Starc's fourth career instance of claiming a wicket with the opening delivery of a match.

Starc's destructive spell continued as he removed Tanzid Hasan and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was trapped lbw in the third over. He added his fourth wicket when Nathan Green took a grass-top catch to dismiss Mominul Haque for 9, the only batter among Bangladesh's first four to reach single figures. Litton Das fell lbw to Starc for his fifth wicket of the session.

Bangladesh, which surprisingly claimed victory in the first Test of the two-match series, found itself in considerable difficulty at the lunch interval with a score of 35 for five wickets. The early collapse places significant pressure on the remainder of the middle-order to stabilise the innings as Australia's bowling attack continues to press its advantage.