Australia Begin 20-Test Marathon With Rare Top End Series Against Bangladesh
Australia launch a gruelling schedule of at least 20 Tests over the next 12 months on 13 August 2026, facing Bangladesh in Darwin — the first five-day Test in the Top End since 2004 The Guardian. The second Test follows in Mackay from 22 August, with both matches branded by Cricket Australia as "Top End Tests" for northern Australia Cricket Australia.
A Test match is cricket's longest format, played over up to five days with each team batting twice. For Australia, this series opens a door to a run of cricket that Fox Sports has described as a "21-Test frenzy" Fox Sports. An October tour of South Africa — a country Australia have not visited in six years — is followed next year by headline five-Test series away against India and England The Guardian.
Bangladesh's preparation has been far from smooth. They were bowled out for just 54 in their second innings of a tour match in Darwin against a Cricket Australia XI last week The Guardian. A total of 54 all out means ten wickets fell for fewer runs than many club sides manage in an evening knock.
Australia welcome back captain Pat Cummins, who played only one Ashes Test last summer because of a back injury. He is joined by Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon, both of whom had also been sidelined The Guardian. At 33, Cummins is the youngest of Australia's leading quintet of bowlers — a group that also includes Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Hazlewood and Lyon The Guardian. Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett and Todd Murphy were named only in the wider training squad, not the main group The Guardian.
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey said he cannot wait to get going. "It's been a long winter sitting around preparing for the next game," he said The Guardian. A wicketkeeper is the player standing behind the stumps who catches deliveries the batter does not hit.
All-rounders Cameron Green and Beau Webster are both in contention for a place in the Darwin XI. An all-rounder contributes with both bat and ball, giving a team flexibility in how they balance their side. Webster, who scored 71 not out and took three wickets in the New Year's Test and has been scoring consistently for Warwickshire, said he does not view his selection as a head-to-head with Green. "Having more bowling options in the top seven adds options for the team," he said The Guardian.
The first Test runs from 13–17 August at Marrara Stadium, Darwin, starting at 10am local time. The second Test is scheduled for 22–26 August at Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay Cricket Australia.
For fans, the Top End Tests offer something genuinely different. Darwin's tropical August means warmth and potential for swing under muggy skies, while Mackay's coastal conditions will pose their own questions. With Cummins, Hazlewood and Lyon returning from injury and a packed calendar ahead, this series is as much about Australia finding rhythm again as it is about the result.
