Bangladesh quick Shoriful Islam produced the performance of his life on day one of the second Test against Australia, claiming his maiden six-wicket haul in the longest format. There were a total of 18 wickets to fall on a crazy opening day but it was Shoriful’s brilliant spell that single-handedly kept Bangladesh in the hunt after a disastrous morning with the bat.
Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first but it was a disastrous decision as Australia’s fast-bowling attack ripped through the visitors’ batting line-up for a paltry 64 runs. The 25-year-old left-arm pacer didn’t let the contest slip out of hands and took control with the ball. Shoriful’s first big success came when he had Travis Head for 22, the batsman chopping an inside edge back on to his own stumps. He struck again soon after, dismissing Marnus Labuschagne (4) when a delivery that was moving down the leg side took a deflection off the batter's pads and hit the stumps.
Steve Smith and Cameron Green led Australia’s reply with a 77-run stand for the sixth wicket. But Shoriful came back after tea and broke the dangerous stand trapping Smith LBW for 42 with a sharp inswinger. Shoriful tore through Australia’s lower order in a rapid, devastating burst with momentum firmly on his side. With a full-length delivery, he trapped Beau Webster LBW for a duck, bowled Australian captain Pat Cummins LBW for a second duck with a quick ball and then sealed his milestone by smashing the stumps of Mitchell Starc for just one run.
Shoriful concluded his spell with impressive figures of 6 for 35 in 11 overs. Despite his heroics Cameron Green fought hard to score an unbeaten 51 alongside Nathan Lyon but Australia reached 165 for 8 at Stumps to lead by 101 runs. But ripping through a world-class Australian batting line-up on home soil is a landmark achievement for Shoriful, proving his place as Bangladesh’s main pace asset and keeping the match alive going into Day 2.
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