Bangladesh’s bowlers have carried two completely different results in the space of six days. The same batting order that helped beat Australia in Darwin was skittled for 64 in Mackay, and the gap between those two results comes entirely from the bat, not the ball. Shoriful Islam’s return from injury gave the attack a sharper edge, and Mitchell Starc’s swing exposed a top order with almost no footwork against a moving ball. The bowling has arrived well ahead of schedule. The batting has yet to catch up.
From Darwin’s High to Mackay’s Low
Bangladesh beat Australia by nine wickets in Darwin on August 16, 2026, their first Test win on Australian soil, built on Hasan Mahmud’s 6/55, a five-wicket haul from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and a first-innings 426 that included Tanzid Hasan’s maiden Test century and Shanto’s 84. Six days later in Mackay, the same batting line-up was bowled out for 64, their fourth-lowest total in Test history.
Batter | Darwin Inns 1 | Mackay Inns 1 | Dismissal in Mackay |
|---|---|---|---|
Shadman Islam | 36 | 0 duck | c gully b Starc, first ball |
Tanzid Hasan | 101 | 0 duck | c Webster b Starc, edged slip |
Najmul Shanto | 84 | 0 duck | lbw b Starc, umpire’s call |
Mominul Haque | 49 | 9 | c Green b Starc, no footwork |
Litton Das | 9 | 0 duck | out on DRS review |
Shoriful Islam (No. 11) | did not play | 14, top score | not out, last wicket |
Of the 64 runs Bangladesh managed, the last five batters contributed 47 of them. The top order that scored freely in Darwin managed 17 runs between four batters in Mackay, four of whom fell without scoring.
Bangladesh Australia Test series 2026 batting collapse
Australia had Bangladesh at 12 for 5 inside seven overs, with Starc needing just 22 balls to take five wickets. Bangladesh’s bowlers then hit back, taking six Australian wickets for 35 runs to leave the hosts at 165 for 8, but the first-innings deficit was already too large to overcome. Bangladesh were bowled out for 95 in the second innings and lost by an innings and 51 runs inside two days.
Shoriful’s Six-For Overshadowed by the Top Order
Shoriful Islam, playing his first Test in Australia after recovering from a hamstring injury, took a career-best 6/35, well past his previous best of three wickets in an innings. He was also Bangladesh’s top scorer with 14, batting at number 11. Australia still posted 210 to lead by 146, which made the bowling performance remarkable and nearly pointless in the same breath.
Mitchell Starc’s 6/12 pushed him past Dale Steyn’s tally of 439 Test wickets and earned him both Player of the Match and Player of the Series, with match figures of 10 for 51 across the two innings. A bowler batting at number 11 outscoring four specialist batters combined is not a fightback. It is a scoreline that speaks for itself.
A Pattern With Interruptions, Not Solved
This is a recurring issue rather than a one-off. In the week before Darwin, a Cricket Australia XI skittled Bangladesh for 54, and the top-order batters involved were the same names struggling again in Mackay. Conditions in Darwin suited them, and they responded well, but Mackay’s overcast skies and genuine pace saw every dismissal in that 64 all-out innings come against lateral movement.
Tanzid Hasan following a maiden Test century with two consecutive ducks captures the gap perfectly. The talent clearly exists. The consistency against a swinging ball in unfamiliar conditions still does not, and that gap keeps costing Bangladesh matches they could win.
Fixes Bangladesh Needs Before the Next Series
Three technical issues stand out from this scorecard. Mominul was dismissed guiding a ball to gully with no foot movement, and Tanzid edged behind playing with his hands well away from his body. Shadman departed off the very first ball of the innings without shifting his feet at all.
Lower-order depth cannot keep being the headline story either. A number 11 topping the score sheet in a total of 64 is not a rescue act; it is a warning sign about the five batters above him. The Bangladesh-Australia Test series 2026 batting collapse leaves a simple question hanging over the top order: can these five eliminate the innings that turn a result like Darwin into the exception rather than the rule?
Which of Bangladesh’s top-order batters worries you most heading into the next series? Drop your pick in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What was Bangladesh’s lowest Test score against Australia?
Bangladesh were dismissed for 64 in the Mackay Test on August 22, 2026, their lowest total ever against Australia. It is also their fourth-lowest Test total ever, behind an all-time low of 43 against the West Indies.
Why did Bangladesh collapse in the Mackay Test?
Mitchell Starc took 6/12 with pace and late swing under overcast skies, and the top order offered almost no footwork. Four batters, Shadman, Tanzid, Shanto, and Litton Das, were all dismissed for ducks in the first innings.
What were Shoriful Islam’s bowling figures against Australia?
Shoriful Islam took a career-best 6/35 in Australia’s first innings at Mackay, his first Test appearance in the country. His previous best in a Test innings was three wickets, making this figure more than double that mark.
Did Bangladesh win the first Test against Australia in 2026?
Yes, Bangladesh beat Australia by nine wickets in Darwin, their first-ever Test win on Australian soil. Tanzid Hasan scored a maiden century of 101, and Hasan Mahmud took 6/55 in the first innings.
Who are Bangladesh’s most out-of-form Test batters right now?
Tanzid Hasan and Shadman Islam stand out after both fell cheaply in Mackay following useful contributions in Darwin. Tanzid followed his century with two ducks, while Shadman was out on the first ball without moving his feet.