AUS vs BAN 2nd Test Live Commentary - Mackay (22 August 2026)

A little bit of hesitation, but they make it through. Across the off stump, on a length. Green lunges and drops it with soft hands beside the strip on the off side. Smith is caught on his heels but manages to get across to the other end.

Around the off stump, fuller in length. Steve gets forward to defend.

Drags the length back, outside off. Smith offers no shot.

At 130.3 kph, on a short of a length, on off. Smith hops across to the off side and is tucked up for room as the ball cuts back in but manages to stab it down.

No run.

FOUR! Oh, utterly glorious from Smith! Pitches it fuller, does Mahmud, angling in, toward the off stump. Steve Smith covers the stumps and drives it, showing the full face of the bat, down the ground for four runs. Australia now trail by 10 runs.

Back of a length, outside off, Steve Smith rocks back and lets it travel to the keeper. 

Beauty! Short of a length, keeping the line just outside off, shaping it away. Steve Smith rocks back to defend it but it zips past the outside edge. 

Not close enough to make the batter play. It keeps moving away even after going past the batter. An easy leave for Smith.

Full and in the channel on off. Smith shuffles across to cover the off stump and makes the leave.

FOUR! Oh, on any other day that could have gone back onto the stumps. Into the deck, outside off. It sits up nicely for Smith, who swivels and goes hard on the pull. Catches the underedge before racing away to the deep fine leg fence.

Gets the ball to curve back in at the pads, on a length. Green flicks a bit uppishly. It goes on the bounce to the man at leg gully, who gets on his knees to make the stop to his right.

Half a shout for LBW. Lands it on a good length, on middle. Green presses forward to defend but the ball cuts back in to go past the inside edge and due to the lift off the deck, it catches the batter on the back thigh.

Indecision by Green. Another one that ducks back in, not all that short, just outside the off stump. Green plays for the ball that goes across him with the angle. He shapes up for the cut but then sees the ball jag back in and ends up jabbing at the ball. Gets beaten on the outside edge.

Across off, on a good length. Green is not interested in playing at that.

Pitches it up, full and outside off. Green is late on the drive but is beaten past the outside edge. Men behind the bat and the bowler got interested in hearing a sound but it was of the bat hitting the ground.

Fuller and on off, that is defended solidly off the front foot.

Good cricket all around. Bowled on a back of a length, on off. Smith stands tall on top of the bounce and punches it square of the wicket. The point fielder flings himself to his right to make the stop.

Hits the back of a length again, outside off. Smith shuffles across to get closer to the line of the ball and dabs it to point.

Moving away in the air, on the fuller side. Smith shoulders arms.

A length delivery, bringing the stumps into play. Smith leans across before bringing his bat out in front to block it out.

A bit loose from Smith. At 131.6 kph, floated up there, curving away, outside off. Smith reaches across for the drive but miscues it off the inner half to mid-wicket.

Hasan shortens the length and gets the ball to nip back into the right-hander. Smith taps it to mid-wicket off the back foot. Hasan starts with a maiden.

A bit of whippage from Steve Smith now. Bowled at the stumps, Steve gets inside the line and uses the wrists to flick it through mid-wicket. A couple of fielders give chase and the boundary is saved. Three taken.

Pitched full and on middle, Green solidly blocks it on the front foot.

Back of a length, angling away from off with some extra bounce. Green lets it pass.

Tap and run! Good-length delivery on off, shaping back in. Cameron Green stays compact and just dabs it towards cover for an easy single.

Shoriful drags it shorter, cutting across off. Smith goes back and across, patting it down past point for one more. The 50 is now up for Australia. They trail by just 14 more runs.

A dot to finish the session, and that will be Tea on Day 1. This is bowled fuller on off, allowing the ball to swing back in. Cameron Green stays on the front foot and blocks it off.

Ahmed hits the deck hard, angling it in towards off. Steve Smith walks inside the line and plays it with a straight bat to mid on. Also, a No Ball is called for overstepping.

Short of a good length, outside the line of off stump, left alone by SS.

A very excited appeal for LBW, but turned down. Taskin wants it reviewed but Najmul Hossain Shanto decides against it. Seemed a bit too high. Taskin bowls the leg cutter, pitching it on a good length around off, angling it away. Steve Smith gets front and across to block but misses and wears it on the pads.

Hard length outside off, seaming away. Smith lets it through and once again, Taskin has overstepped. No Ball!

Back of a length around off, darts back in sharply. Smith looks to shoulder arms but gets hit on the midriff.

Pitched up on a fullish length, nibbling away from wide of the off stump. Smith strides towards the ball before making a leave.

Good running! Bowled slightly into the wicket and over the stumps, Smith gets forward and nudges it down in front of covers, pinching a quick single.

No ball. The third time Ahmed has overstepped in this over, and you can see he's putting in that extra effort to get a wicket here, but it's not quite coming off. Full ball around off, Cameron Green smacks the drive to extra cover, where Hasan Mahmud nearly misses it completely and just about manages to make a stop.

That's a beauty! On a good length, pitching on the fourth stump line, and this one straightens a bit. Green looks to block with a straight bat but is well beaten.

Too full, and too straight as well, at the toes. Head clips it to mid-wicket.

OUT! DRAGGED ON! Shoriful Islam strikes with his second ball and he has his arms aloft in celebration. For the third time in as many innings this series, Head has chopped it back onto the stumps. Seam-up ball, nipping back in, on a good length. Head hangs back to flay it away on the off side but the ball cuts back in off the deck to cramp him for room. It catches the inside edge and brushes the back thigh before clattering into the top of the off stump. Australia are 40/2, trailing by 24 runs.

Stays over the wicket and fires in a full ball, down leg with a leg gully in place. Smith shuffles across slightly and lets it pass.

Full and at 132.9 kph, shaping back in at the pads. Smith glances it down to deep fine leg for a single to get off the mark.

OUT! BOWLED! An unfortunate way to get out. When form deserts you, luck often follows. Another low score for Marnus Labuschagne. A double whammy by Shoriful Islam. Moving back in the air, on a length, on the leg stump line. Labuschagne shuffles across to play the tickle but fails to lay any bat on the ball. The ball clips the thigh pad and deflects back onto the sticks. Australia have lost their top three with just 41 on the board and the deficit being 23.

Shaping back in at the pads, too straight. Green misses out on the tickle. The ball goes away off the pads to leg gully.

FOUR! Lovely stroke. Full and angled in at the pads from around the wicket. Head lets the ball come on and stays balanced at the crease. Brings his wrists into play and flicks it between mid-wicket and mid on for a boundary.

A loud shout for LBW, but turned down. Taskin Ahmed feels height could be a factor and Bangladesh do not take the review. Drags the length back and this jags back in, around off. Head presses half-forward to stab it down but is beaten on the inside edge to get hit on the flap of the front pad. The Ball Tracking shows that the impact was outside the line of the off stump.

Slanting in at the hips,.nudged from the crease to Head.

Delivers it on a good length, on middle. Head hangs back to defend. It squirts off the inner half and goes wide of square leg. Head spots that the ball has gone to the dominant left-hand side of Taijul Islam and sends Marnus back.

Was there an edge? There was a noise and Taskin Ahmed seemed pretty convinced. Najmul Hossain Shanto thinks about it but eventually does not review. A wise decision from Bangladesh, as the UltraEdge shows a flat line and the sound was of the bat clipping the front pad. On a length, angled in before it straightens off the deck to square Travis up on the block.

Moving away off the seam, on a back of a length, on off. Head stabs it down in front of point and picks up a single.

Length ball, pushed towards middle, looking to straighten it down the line. Head strides ahead and punches it to mid on.

FOUR! Too much width on offer and Head is all over it in a flash. Short and well wide outside off, Travis Head frees his arms and slashes it one bounce over the deep point fence.

Back of a length, straighter in line, Head dabs it down to mid on.

Good length on the pads, Head misses the tuck and the ball goes off the pads to fine leg. Head picks up a leg bye.

A length ball, shaping away a bit, but well wide of the off stump. Labuschagne makes an easy leave.

A bit more effort behind that delivery. Mahmud hammers it on a good length, angling it in from the fourth stump line. Labuschagne makes a confident leave.

Good zip off the surface there. Fullish length around the sixth stump line and shaping away. Labuschagne gets across a bit and then leaves it alone.

Taskin hits the deck and looks to dart it back in from outside off. Labuschagne stays well outside his crease and looks to block but gets an inside edge to the leg side.

Good length, wide of the off stump, Labuschagne triggers back and across before making a leave.

FOUR! Unlucky for the bowler. Full of a good length, Taskin gets the ball to nip away sharply off the deck. There's that extra bounce off a full length again and Marnus is taken aback, getting squared up. Labuschagne manages to edge it down and the ball goes between the slip cordon and gully for a boundary.

Shorter this time, over middle, played off the back foot and nurdled towards square leg.

Back of a length, hitting the deck hard, Labuschagne tucks it down to the fielder in front of square leg.

Back of a length and at the batter, hurries onto Head, who fends it away.

FOUR! Crashed through the off side. Length ball outside off, Head goes down on one knee and gets his hands through the ball, smashing it past point for a boundary.

Short of a good length and over the stumps, blocked off by Head.

Half an appeal for LBW, but turned down. Hasan Mahmud goes around the wicket now, landing it on a good length around off and getting the ball to pitch and nip away. Travis Head gets caught on the crease and jars at it with hard hands, missing the ball, and the ball flicks the front pad on its way to the keeper.

Beautifully bowled! Mahmud pushes it in from outside off and gets the ball to then seam away. Head gets pegged back and squared up as the ball beats the outside edge by a mile.

Length ball, sliding down the leg side. Head looks to tuck it fine but misses.

FOUR! Played with soft hands. Pitched-up delivery on off, looking to swing it in. Head gets halfway forward and pushes at it, edging it down behind point for another boundary. That's a bit frustrating for the bowler.

Shorter on off, Head gets up on his toes and angles it wide of gully for a quick single.

Hard length from Taskin, over middle and leg. Renshaw strides down the pitch and exposes all of the stumps, tucking it to the right of the long leg fielder for a couple of runs. A touch of Matthew Hayden in the way Renshaw played that. Both from Queensland, both tall and burly opening batters, southpaws too.

Two more. Back of a length and over middle, Renshaw gets across to the off side, and tucks it down through mid-wicket for a brace.

Full of a good length, in the channel around off. Renshaw leaves it alone.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! A short stay at the crease for Matt Renshaw on his Test return, and Taskin Ahmed gets the first Aussie wicket. Taskin comes around the wicket now, pitching it fuller and angling it in from off stump. The ball lands on the seam and straightens. Renshaw looks to get across and flick but ends up getting a leading edge towards third slip. Tanzid Hasan takes a good catch around his face, and Australia are 22/1, trailing by 42 runs.

Mahmud starts on a straighter line, angling it into the pads. Head works it through mid-wicket for a single.

Just back of a length, slanted across off. Renshaw moves to the off side and blocks it back onto the deck.

Pretty similar line and length to the last delivery, and Renshaw again moves across and defends it off.

FOUR! Streaky, but will settle the nerves a bit. Fractionally short and outside off, Renshaw opens the bat face to defend, but runs it more off the outside edge and between point and gully for a boundary. He's off the mark on his return to Test cricket.

Good-length delivery, on a tight line around off and there's some extra lift off the deck as well. Renshaw shoulders arms.

On a good length again, going across from middle to off. Renshaw hops to the off side and dabs it down into the leg side.

FOUR BYES! Swing, and plenty of it, but the line is all wrong from Taskin. Pitched fuller and down leg, shapes further down the leg side. Travis Head misses the flick and the ball beats the keeper, rolling away into the fine leg fence. Australia's innings is underway with byes.

Ahmed hits the deck hard, angling it across off, Head hops up and taps it down to cover.

A bit of excitement from the bowler, but that's missed the bat. Back of a length and over off, shapes back in. Travis Head gets cramped for room as he looks to shovel it leg side and the ball goes off the thigh pad to the keeper. Also, Ahmed has overstepped. No Ball called.

That's a peach! Perfect length, just a bit fuller of a good length and darting away from the off stump. Head stays back and looks to fend at it but the ball zips past the outside edge.

First runs off the bat and Head is off the mark. Hard length over middle and leg, Head gets up on his toes and tucks it away through the big gap in front of square on the leg side and picks up a couple of runs.

Should have been stopped. On the pads again, nudged down to leg gully, where the fielder lets it through to fine leg, conceding a single.

Ooh, that's a top nut to get first up. Good length on, nips away a fair bit. Matt Renshaw strides forward and plays down the line but the ball breezes past the outside edge. Australia are 8/0 after the first over.