Australia Vs Bangladesh Test Series 2026: Squads, Schedule, Head-To-Head And All You Need To Know

Australia and Bangladesh are set to begin a two-Test series on August 13, with the opening match in Darwin marking Bangladesh’s first Test tour of Australia in 23 years. The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle and comes at an interesting point for both teams.

Australia enter the contest as one of the leading sides in the WTC standings, while Bangladesh arrive after an impressive 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan but also suffered a heavy defeat to Zimbabwe in their most recent Test. Australia, meanwhile, return to Test cricket after completing a 4-1 Ashes victory over England earlier this year.

Australia vs Bangladesh Test Series 2026: Schedule And Venues

The two-match series will take Test cricket to northern Australia, with Darwin and Mackay hosting matches during the Australian winter. The first Test will be played at Marrara Stadium in Darwin from August 13 to 17, with play beginning at 10am local time each day. The second Test is scheduled for August 22 to 26 at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, also beginning at 10am local time.

The Darwin Test carries additional historical significance. Marrara Stadium will host only its third men's Test and its first since 2004. Australia won both previous Tests at the venue, defeating Bangladesh by an innings and 132 runs in 2003 before beating Sri Lanka by 149 runs the following year. Mackay, meanwhile, is preparing to host its first men's Test, becoming Australia's 12th men's Test venue.

Australia Squad: Cummins, Hazlewood And Lyon Return

Australia have selected a strong 13-member squad for the series, with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all returning to the Test side. The trio played only three Ashes Tests between them because of injuries, making this series the first opportunity in some time for Australia to reunite a near full-strength bowling attack.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.

Australia have now confirmed their playing XI for the first Test, with Hazlewood preferred over Scott Boland. That means Cummins, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will form the frontline pace attack, while Lyon returns as the specialist spinner. Cameron Green and Beau Webster provide additional all-round options.

Australia first Test XI: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Beau Webster, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (captain), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

Hazlewood will have a personal milestone in sight in Darwin. The fast bowler is sitting on 295 Test wickets, meaning five more will take him to the 300-wicket mark and make him only the ninth Australian to reach the landmark.

Bangladesh Squad: Shanto Leads, Litton Returns

Bangladesh will be captained by Najmul Hossain Shanto, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz serving as vice-captain. Their 16-member squad combines experienced campaigners such as Mushfiqur Rahim, Mominul Haque and Litton Das with a number of pace options.

Bangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mehidy Hasan Miraz (vice-captain), Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Tanzid Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Amite Hasan, Jaker Ali Anik, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Musfik Hasan.

Litton Das is particularly important to Bangladesh's hopes. The wicketkeeper-batter is their leading Test run-scorer over the past five years, with six centuries and an average of 41.70 during that period. He was also declared fully fit ahead of the opening Test after concerns surrounding his availability.

There are, however, significant concerns around Bangladesh's pace resources. Nahid Rana has been ruled out with a side injury, while Shoriful Islam is unavailable for the first Test because of a hamstring problem, although he could return for the Mackay Test. That puts greater responsibility on Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Khaled Ahmed and Ebadot Hossain.

Recent Form: Bangladesh Enter With Confidence Despite Warm-Up Collapse

Bangladesh's Test record in 2026 has been mixed but includes one major achievement. They defeated Pakistan 2-0 at home in May, winning the first Test by 104 runs and the second by 78 runs. That series extended their winning run in Tests before Zimbabwe ended it emphatically in June with an innings-and-85-run victory in Harare.

Their immediate preparation for Australia, however, was far less encouraging. Bangladesh were beaten by a Cricket Australia XI by an innings and 38 runs in a three-day warm-up match in Darwin, collapsing to just 54 all out in their second innings. The match was not a first-class fixture, so it does not count towards their official Test record, but the manner of the defeat has raised questions about how their batters will handle Australia's pace attack.

Australia have not played a Test since their 4-1 Ashes series victory over England, and they enter this series with a strong recent record. The return of Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon further strengthens a side that already possesses Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.

Head-To-Head Record: Australia Hold The Clear Edge

Australia have dominated the Test rivalry. The teams have met six times, with Australia winning five matches and Bangladesh winning once. Bangladesh's only victory came in Mirpur in 2017, when they secured a memorable 20-run win. Australia won the second Test of that series and have remained unbeaten against Bangladesh in the format since.

The long gap between tours makes the 2026 series particularly significant. Bangladesh last played a Test in Australia in 2003, when Australia won by an innings and 132 runs in Darwin. More than two decades later, Shanto's side returns with a considerably more experienced Test core and a stronger recent record than its predecessors.

Where To Watch Australia vs Bangladesh Tests

The Bangladesh tour of Australia, beginning in Darwin on August 13, will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network in India. It will also be streamed live in India on the Jio Hotstar app and website from 6:00 AM IST onwards.