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It was a historic day for pacers on the first day of the Darwin Test, as Australian pacer Mitchell Starc surpassed Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath to become the most successful left-handed bowler in Test history.
Starc achieved this milestone on day one by taking the wicket of Shadnan Islam, getting his 434th scalp in Test cricket and going past Herath''s total of 433 Test wickets for most Test wickets ever by a left-arm bowler. Coming to the match, Australia was skittled out for just 198 runs in their first innings after electing to bat first. After a 45-run stand for the opening wicket between Travis Head (22) and Jake Weatherald (23), Australia could not really get going, despite a remarkable effort from Steve Smith (71 in 109 balls, with seven fours and a six). Australia was skittled out for just 198 runs, their lowest-ever score against Bangladesh, 19 runs less than 217 at Mirpur in 2017. It was a historic day for Bangladesh pacers Hasan Mahmud, who took the best-ever figures by a bowler from his country against Australia and Taskin Ahmed, who completed 300 international wickets. Hasan''s figures have outdone Rafique''s (5/62 at Fatullah, 2006) for the best figures by a Bangladeshi bowler against Australia, condemning a struggling line-up facing so many questions to their lowest Test score against Bangladesh since 217 at Mirpur back in 2017. In 15 Tests, Hasan now has three five-fors, the second-most by a Bangladesh pacer in Tests, with only Shahadat Hossain (four in 38 Tests) at the top. With fifers in India, Pakistan and now against Australia, Hasan has made a name for himself as a force to be reckoned with in away conditions. Australia just could not keep going after a 45-run stand between Travis Head (22) and Jake Weatherald (23) for the first wicket, sinking to 74/4. Steve Smith (71 in 109 balls, with seven fours and a six) did try persisting with the middle-order/lower-order, but to no avail as Hasan continued his storm. Taskin also became the sixth bowler to reach 300 international wickets in Bangladesh cricketing history, with a spell of 2/55. Now he has exactly 300 wickets in 204 matches, with 13 four-wicket hauls, three five-fors and an average of above 28. Shakib al Hasan (712), Mashrafe Mortaza (389), Mustafizur Rahman (384), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (369) and Taijul Islam (302) stand above Taskin in Bangladesh''s all-time bowling charts. (ANI)
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