Mitchell Starc takes 6/12 against Bangladesh, moves past Dale Steyn in all-time Test list

Mitchell Starc delivered one of the great fast-bowling spells in recent Test history on August 22, 2026, claiming six wickets for 12 runs from 10 overs in the second Test against Bangladesh at Mackay. Australia bowled Bangladesh out for 64 runs in 34 overs, which stands as the fourth-lowest total in Bangladesh's Test history.

The haul lifted Starc's career tally to 440 Test wickets, taking him past Dale Steyn's mark of 439 and into outright 10th place among the highest wicket-takers in Test cricket. Earlier in this series, during the first Test in Darwin, Starc had already claimed the record for the greatest number of wickets taken by a left-arm bowler in Test cricket, going past Rangana Herath's tally.

Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to field on a Mackay pitch that offered considerable pace and carry. Starc struck with the very first delivery of the match, having Shadman Islam caught at gully before a run had been scored. Bangladesh never recovered from that opening blow and were reduced to 35 for 6 by the close of the first session, with Starc responsible for the bulk of the damage.

Among his six victims were Tanzid Hasan, who had scored 101 in Darwin in the first Test, and Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, both dismissed without scoring. Shoriful Islam's 14 runs represented the highest individual contribution in an innings that lasted just 34 overs.

How does Starc's five-wicket burst rank in Test history?

Starc reached his fifth wicket in 22 deliveries, the second-fastest five-wicket haul in Test cricket. The record he sits behind is his own: a 15-ball burst against West Indies in 2025. Only a small group of bowlers have ever reached five wickets inside 22 balls in Test cricket. Ernie Toshack did so in 19 balls against India in 1947, Stuart Broad took 19 balls against Australia in 2015, and Scott Boland matched that figure in 19 balls against England in 2021. Shane Watson reached the mark in 21 balls against South Africa in 2011. Starc's 22-ball effort places him second on that list, with the top position also his own.

The sixth wicket, which completed his figures of 6 for 12, came after the 22-ball mark but formed part of the same unbroken spell that left Bangladesh in ruins before lunch.

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What is the match situation after Bangladesh's first innings?

As things stand, Australia have begun their reply to Bangladesh's 64 and have reached 50 for 3 in 10 overs. Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam both took early wickets to give Bangladesh a foothold in the match, ensuring the contest remained open despite the dramatic first-innings collapse.

The series context adds weight to Australia's position. Bangladesh won the first Test in Darwin by nine wickets, a result that marked their first Test victory on Australian soil. Australia need to win in Mackay to level the two-match series, and Starc's six-wicket haul has placed them in a strong position heading into the later stages of the match, with Bangladesh's second innings still to come.