Australia's Test team opens a demanding 12-month schedule of at least 20 matches when it faces Bangladesh in Darwin, the first five-day fixture in the Top End since 2004. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey, whose Ashes displays over the Australian summer elevated his standing in the side, says the squad is ready despite a long break between fixtures.
It's been a pretty long winter sitting around ready and preparing for the next game.
To be honest, this group of players are really professional in the way that they look after themselves, really experienced with getting themselves up for each Test match and really match-hardened as well. So for myself, I'm excited by what the future has. But in footy terms, one week at a time.
The two-match series, with the second Test to follow in Mackay within a fortnight, marks the beginning of a punishing year for the Australians that also includes a tour of South Africa and away series against India and England. According to Cricket World, the Darwin Test is scheduled for 13–17 August 2026, with the Mackay fixture set to run from 22–26 August 2026.
Where will the matches be played?
The opening Test will be staged at Marrara Stadium in Darwin, while the second will be held at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, both starting at 10:00am local time, according to Cricket Australia's match guide. The same source details the day's three session windows in Darwin: the first from 10:00am to 12:00pm, the second from 12:40pm to 2:40pm, and the third from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Notably, the Mackay venue will host its first-ever Test match as part of this tour, according to a broadcast schedule report.
Bangladesh's underwhelming form ahead of the series has raised questions about the contest's competitiveness. In a tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in Darwin last week, the touring side was dismissed for just 54 in its second innings.
How will Australia manage its bowling workload?
Carey deflected questions about how the coaching staff plans to rotate the bowling attack across such a compressed calendar, preferring to focus on the immediate contest rather than the schedule as a whole.
[We're] not looking too far ahead, it's a game where we play each ball on its merit and is a contest in itself.
We have a really good bowling attack – hopefully they can take 20 wickets each Test match in a short amount of time.
Captain Pat Cummins returns after a back issue restricted him to a single Ashes Test over the summer, and he is joined by fellow returnees Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. At 33, Cummins is the youngest of the team's five most experienced bowlers, a group that also includes Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland — all named in the squad for the Darwin Test. Quicks Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett, along with spinner Todd Murphy, have been included only in the wider training squad rather than the match squad.
This continuity in selection follows on from Australia's squad announcement, in which the panel confirmed Jake Weatherald retained his place in the 13-man group alongside the returning trio of Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon.
Can Green and Webster share the all-rounder role?
All-rounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster could both feature in the XI, easing the burden on Australia's frontline pace attack. Webster argued the pair's inclusion together strengthens rather than weakens the top order.
I've always said in the last 12 to 24 months when these conversations come up, it's surely more of a benefit to have more options in that top seven with the ball, and I certainly don't see it as a direct competition, I feel like it only adds more options.
Webster, who has been practising in the slips during training in Darwin, said two years on the fringes of the Test side have sharpened his belief in his own ability. He scored an unbeaten 71 and took three wickets in the New Year's Test, and has continued to perform consistently for county side Warwickshire.
The biggest thing I've learned is that I'm good enough [to play] at this level.
In the lead up to being selected in that first Test, the question was, 'Do you feel ready?' Although I was probably bluffing myself saying 'absolutely', at the end of the day, you probably don't really know until you get out there and face the the bowlers from other countries and are put in situations with big crowds and big moments in games of cricket where you're expected to perform.
Why is Jake Weatherald under scrutiny?
Opener Jake Weatherald, 31, faces heightened pressure heading into a series in his home city, having averaged just 22 across five Test appearances. Former Test batter Mark Waugh has publicly stated that Weatherald must score runs against Bangladesh to secure a place on the South Africa tour, criticism the player says he has taken on board.
It always is a challenge, especially when you get people that you respect and stuff like that, say things about your batting or your game.
You're naturally always looking for affirmations and people to respect what you're doing, but at the same time, that's a part of cricket.
The scrutiny on Weatherald comes against the backdrop of a difficult recent run for Australia against Bangladesh in white-ball cricket. Australia suffered its first ODI defeat to Bangladesh in 21 years in Dhaka, losing by 86 runs on the DLS method after Bangladesh posted 8-284, and then lost the series 2-0 after collapsing to three wickets down before scoring a run in the second match.
Who is broadcasting the series?
Streaming service Dazn has secured the UK broadcast rights for the Bangladesh tour, marking its first international cricket broadcast as the platform seeks a broader foothold in cricket rights negotiations, according to earlier reporting on the rights deal.
What happens next?
The Darwin Test is set to run from 13 to 17 August 2026, followed by the Mackay Test from 22 to 26 August 2026, according to Cricket World's schedule report. Beyond this series, Australia's calendar moves on to a tour of South Africa in October, followed by away series against India and England next year, as part of the 20-plus Test commitments the squad faces over the coming 12 months.
Key Facts
- The Darwin Test runs from 13–17 August 2026 at Marrara Stadium; the Mackay Test runs from 22–26 August 2026 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena, its first-ever Test.
- Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon return from injury for the series.
- Bangladesh were dismissed for 54 in a tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in Darwin last week.
- Jake Weatherald, averaging 22 from five Tests, faces pressure to perform in his home city.
- Dazn has acquired UK broadcast rights for the series, its first international cricket deal.
