Australia's men begin a gruelling 12-month Test schedule on 13 August 2026, opening a two-match series against Bangladesh at Marrara Stadium in Darwin. The clash is the first Test cricket the Top End has hosted since 2004 and Bangladesh's first Test assignment on Australian soil since 2003, with the hosts set to play as many as 20 Tests over the coming year — 21 should they reach the World Test Championship final.
Much of the pre-series discussion has centred on the experience, rather than youth, of the Australian line-up. Cameron Green is the only likely starter under the age of 30, underlining that this is a squad built to win now rather than to develop for the future. Captain Pat Cummins made clear the group's focus is entirely on the immediate task at hand.
We don't look too far ahead. We as a group are quite good at just being quite present, not thinking too far ahead and moving on from one game to the next. For us at the moment, it's all Bangladesh this series.
Why does the bowling attack matter so much here?
Australia's vaunted pace quartet is back together for the first time in more than a year, with Mitchell Starc joined once again by Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon. Their collective pedigree leaves little doubt about the strength of the attack, though question marks remain over the batting order, particularly around Green and opener Jake Weatherald.
How does this fit into Australia's recent selection story?
Weatherald's continued presence at the top of the order comes after selectors opted to retain him in the squad, as reported in our earlier coverage of
This article was sourced from theguardian
