Mitchell Starc had already put together a morning to remember in Mackay before his post-session interview took an unexpectedly familiar turn. After ripping through Bangladesh with 6/12, the Australian quick walked off the field to find former Australia women’s captain and his wife, Alyssa Healy, waiting with a microphone and a few questions of her own.
Starc’s spell helped Australia bowl Bangladesh out for just 64, their fourth-lowest Test total, after their shock nine-wicket defeat in Darwin. Speaking to Fox Sports at lunch, Healy mixed the cricket with some familiar banter as Starc walked off the field with a huge smile.
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“Yeah, who would have thought they’d stitch this one up? I paid for dinner last night. Does that mean it’s now your turn?” Healy asked.
“You’re paid the bigger bucks than I am,” Starc replied.
Healy then turned to the cricket, asking whether winning the toss and choosing to bowl was exactly what Australia had hoped for.
“You said it before, you’ve played here more than the rest of us, but, yeah, I mean, we clearly weren’t at our best last week,” Starc said.
“To get first use of that wicket, a lot of the Queenslanders here have said it’s a lot like the Gabba. So, yeah, to make first use of that in the first session, you can’t be too unhappy. Six in the first session, can’t beat that. Obviously a little bit of anger. It’s worked well so far, hopefully we can keep it up.”
Starc had every reason to be pleased. He removed Shadman Islam with the first ball of the Test, completed his five-for in just 22 deliveries and then returned to take the final Bangladesh wicket, dismissing Shoriful Islam to finish with 6/12.
STARC LEADS AUSTRALIA’S REDEMPTION
The spell was exactly the response Australia needed after their defeat in Darwin. Starc dismissed Shadman, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Litton Das and Shoriful as Bangladesh were bundled out for 64.
His opening delivery also created Test history. Starc became the first bowler to take a wicket with the first ball of a Test on four occasions. His fifth wicket took him to 440 Test wickets, moving him past South African great Dale Steyn’s 439 and into 10th place on the all-time list.
Pat Cummins added 3/25, while Josh Hazlewood claimed the other wicket as Australia’s bowling attack completed the collapse.
HEALY KNOWS MACKAY WELL
Starc’s comment about Healy having played at the venue more than most of his teammates was well founded.
The former Australia women’s captain has enjoyed several productive outings at the Great Barrier Reef Arena. She scored 77 against India in an ODI in 2021 and smashed 70 from 44 balls for Australia A against India A in 2025.
There was also some extra humour behind the interview. Healy had recently blind-ranked a group of elite fast bowlers and, rather brutally, placed her own husband at the bottom.
Starc’s six-wicket haul in Mackay was a fairly convincing response.
Australia’s day did not remain completely one-sided, though. Bangladesh hit back with the ball and reduced the hosts to 50/3 by tea, leaving the second Test finely poised after Starc’s extraordinary opening spell.
– Ends
