Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto criticized the double standards in pitch evaluation after his team suffered an innings-and-51-run defeat to Australia at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay.

Addressing the media following the conclusion of the second Test, Shanto highlighted how heavily skewed the discourse remains against Asian spin tracks compared to extra-bounce, bowler-friendly tracks in western nations.

The match ended inside two days, with Bangladesh bowled out for just 64 and 95, and Australia managing 210 in their only innings. A staggering 18 wickets fell on the opening day of the Test match alone.

“Normally when we play in the subcontinent and 18-19 wickets fall in a day, there is a lot of talk, everyone speaks up. 18 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,” Shanto said in the post-match press conference.

The Mackay surface marked the third time in Australia’s last seven home Tests that a match finished within two days.

Despite their twin batting collapses, Bangladesh walked away with a historic 1-1 series draw, having famously won the first Test in Darwin by nine wickets.

“We showed our character and our discipline in that first test and we need to be consistent,” Shanto stated.

“I believe if we are able to get more chances in similar kind of conditions here, it will help us. And that’s what we want. Not ⁠long, long time — like 23 ⁠years … And then play two test matches. It’s not easy. If we have that opportunity, that chance to play every single ⁠year, it will help ‌us to improve our game,” he remarked.

Coming to the match, Mitchell Starc's 10-wicket match haul, backed by three wickets apiece from Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon in the second innings, powered Australia to a commanding victory in Mackay, levelling the series in record time.

The match lasted just 750 deliveries in total, making it the fourth-shortest Test in cricket history and the second-shortest ever played on Australian soil. The shortest Test in Australia was the 1932 match against South Africa at MCG, which ended in 656 balls.

The shortest-ever Test match was played between South Africa and India in Cape Town during the 2023-24 season. The match lasted just 642 balls, with India emerging victorious by seven wickets.