Published: 12:42 AM, 26 February 2026
BD set for historic Test return to Australia after 23 years
Australia and Bangladesh meet in a Test series for the first time since 2017, when the Aussies won in Chittagong by seven wickets. -Agencies
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 August 13 to 17, followed by the second Test at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay from August 22 to 26.
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.
Scheduling the matches in the "Top End" allows Cricket Australia to utilize 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 canceled 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.
"It is no secret the international calendar is now crowded and we're fortunate to have world class facilities available in August ensuring we have another window for Test cricket outside summer," said Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg.
"Marrara Stadium and Great Barrier Reef Arena have been outstanding venues for international cricket in recent seasons."
Mackay will host a Test for the first time, becoming the 12th venue to do so in Australia. It will be Queensland's only Test for the 'summer'; Brisbane's Gabba will miss out during New Zealand's four-Test tour through December-January due to previous uncertainty over its fate in planning for the 2032 Olympics.
Darwin hosted Bangladesh in 2003 and Sri Lanka in 2004, but Australia had not played an international there since 2008 until South Africa played two T20Is there on a drop-in pitch in August last year.
Ninth-ranked Bangladesh have not played Australia in long-form cricket since notching their maiden Test win over them in Dhaka in 2017.
Australia's mooted tour of Bangladesh in 2020 was nixed by the pandemic, meaning this year's series will mark the first time the two countries have played in the World Test Championship era.
The Tigers have typically struggled away from home, though they have notched wins abroad against West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand since 2022.
