Australia delivered a ruthless bowling performance to dismantle Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs on the second afternoon of the second Test in Mackay, bouncing back emphatically to level the two-match series 1-1.

Mitchell Starc spearheaded the destruction, claiming 4 for 39 in the second innings to finish with match figures of 10 for 51. The left-arm fast bowler, who had recorded an astonishing 6 for 12 on the opening day, took his career tally to 445 wickets to overtake South African legend Dale Steyn into 10th place on the all-time Test wicket-takers list.

Green and Lyon Extend Australian Advantage

Australia resumed their first innings on the second morning at 165 for 8 and added 45 crucial runs to post 210, securing a 146-run first-innings lead. Cameron Green, unbeaten on 51 overnight, contributed a well-constructed 67 before being trapped leg-before by a scorching inswinging yorker from Shoriful Islam.

Shoriful finished with exceptional figures of 7 for 48—the best bowling figures by a Bangladeshi fast bowler in Test history and the best by any Bangladesh bowler away from home. Nathan Lyon provided stubborn resistance down the order, remaining unbeaten on 32 alongside Josh Hazlewood (6) to propel the hosts past the 200-run mark.

Starc and Spin Clean Up Bangladesh for 95

Faced with a steep deficit, Bangladesh's second innings mirrored their first-innings capitulation of 64. Starc struck with consecutive deliveries in his second over, having Shadman Islam caught behind for 1 before removing Mominul Haque for a golden duck when the batter left a ball that crashed into off stump.

Pat Cummins (3 for 10) struck from the opposite end to dismiss Tanzid Hasan Tamim, reducing Bangladesh to 24 for 3. While captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (31) and Mushfiqur Rahim (29 not out) briefly resisted, wickets tumbled steadily around them. Litton Das registered another duck to become Starc's tenth scalp of the match, while Cummins took out Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Hasan Mahmud in successive overs.

Lyon completed the rout by snaring the final two wickets just three deliveries into the evening session, finishing with 3 for 25 as Bangladesh folded for 95 in just 33.3 overs.

Langer Hits Out at Two-Day Tests as Shanto Pleads for Fixtures

The fixture required just 750 deliveries in total, marking the third time in Australia's last seven Tests that a match wrapped up inside two days. Former Australian opener and coach Justin Langer heavily criticised the trend on SEN Radio.

“Two-day Test matches are unacceptable. It's no good for the game for so many reasons. Economically it's a disaster for Cricket Australia who put money into grassroots cricket. And you get tired of hearing ‘Oh it's just the pitches, oh it's the curators, it's the ball moves a bit’. I think a lot of it is down to basic batting technique.”

Bangladesh skipper Shanto admitted his side struggled with conditions in northern Queensland but stressed the need for regular touring opportunities to improve.

“It’s challenging for us, with extra bounce and swing in the air. But as a team, if we want to go forward, we need to adjust to this condition. If we are able to get more chances, similar kind of conditions here, it will help us. Not long, long term, like 23 years of coming here and playing two Test matches... If we have that chance to play every single year, it will help us to improve our game.”

The comprehensive victory ensures Australia shared the series after suffering a shock nine-wicket loss in Darwin, offering crucial momentum ahead of a marathon 12-month schedule featuring 20 Test matches.