1 week ago
Shanto Calls for Equal Scrutiny of Australia’s Mackay Pitch
Australia played Bangladesh in a cricket Test match in Mackay.
Australia won by a large margin.
The match finished after only two days.
Many wickets fell on the first day.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the pitch was difficult to play on.
He said pitches in the subcontinent are often criticized when many wickets fall quickly.
Shanto wanted Australian pitches to receive the same kind of attention.
The article also said several recent Australian home Tests ended very quickly.
Australia defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in the second Test in Mackay.
The match ended after only two days, with 18 wickets falling on the opening day.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said the Mackay pitch was challenging.
Shanto urged people to apply the same criticism to Australian pitches as to subcontinent surfaces.
Three of Australia’s last seven home Tests have ended within two days, including Tests in Perth and Melbourne during the previous Ashes summer.
- Who
- Australia and Bangladesh, led by captains including Najmul Hossain Shanto.
- What
- Australia beat Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs in a two-day Test, prompting Shanto to call for equal scrutiny of the pitch.
- Where
- Mackay, Australia.
- When
- The match ended Sunday, August 23, 2026, after two days of play.
- Why
- Shanto said 18 wickets fell on the first day because the pitch was challenging and argued that similar conditions in the subcontinent receive greater criticism.
Key facts
- Match result
- Australia defeated Bangladesh by an innings and 51 runs.
- Match duration
- The second Test ended after two days.
- First-day wickets
- Eighteen wickets fell on Day 1.
- Bangladesh captain
- Najmul Hossain Shanto
- Recent Australian Tests
- Three of Australia’s last seven home Tests finished within two days.
- Other short Tests
- The Perth and Melbourne Ashes Tests during the previous home summer also ended within two days.
- Financial impact
- The short Perth and Melbourne Ashes Tests cost Cricket Australia millions in forgone revenue.
Quotes
Najmul Hossain Shanto
Bangladesh captain who addressed the Mackay pitch during the post-match press conference
“Normally when we play in the subcontinent and 18-19 wickets fall in a day, there is a lot of talk, everyone speaks up. Eighteen wickets fell on Day 1 here too. People need to understand that. The pitch was challenging, and that’s why 18 wickets fell. When we play in the subcontinent, let’s make sure we don’t forget these things.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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