Bangladesh set for historic Test return to Australia after 23 years
The series will mark Bangladesh's first Test tour Down Under since 2003.
Test cricket is returning to Australia's tropical north, with Cricket Australia confirming that Bangladesh will play a two-match series in Darwin and Mackay this August.
The series will mark Bangladesh's first Test tour Down Under since 2003.
The fixtures will serve as the curtain-raiser for the 2026-27 Australian home international season. The opening match will be held at Marrara Stadium in Darwin from 13 August to 17, followed by the second Test at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay from 22 to 26 August.
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Mackay's inclusion is a significant milestone, as it becomes the 12th venue in Australia to host men's Test cricket and will be Queensland's sole Test host for the summer, stepping in while Brisbane's Gabba is sidelined.
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Scheduling the matches in the "Top End" allows Cricket Australia to utilise the region's hot and dry winter climate, effectively creating a new window for the longest format outside the traditional southern summer.
While the region has regularly hosted white-ball internationals in recent years, it has not seen Test cricket since Sri Lanka toured in 2004.
The two nations have not faced each other in the longest format since 2017, when Bangladesh secured a historic maiden Test victory over Australia in Dhaka.
A subsequent Australian tour to Bangladesh, slated for 2020, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, this upcoming series will be the first time the teams meet in the World Test Championship era.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg noted that the crowded international calendar makes the availability of world-class facilities in August a major advantage.
