Test cricket is set to return to Australia’s tropical north, with Cricket Australia confirming that Bangladesh will play a two-match Test series in Darwin and Mackay this August, reports UNB.
The series will mark Bangladesh’s first Test tour of Australia since 2003 and will serve as the curtain-raiser for the 2026–27 Australian home international season.
The opening Test will be held at Marrara Stadium in Darwin from August 13 to 17, followed by the second match at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay from August 22 to 26.
Mackay’s inclusion is a notable milestone, as it becomes the 12th Australian venue to host men’s Test cricket. It will also be Queensland’s only Test venue for the summer, stepping in while Brisbane’s Gabba undergoes redevelopment.
By scheduling the matches in the “Top End,” Cricket Australia aims to capitalize on the region’s hot and dry winter climate, effectively creating a new window for Test cricket outside the traditional southern summer season. While the area has hosted white-ball internationals in recent years, it has not staged a Test since Sri Lanka toured in 2004.
Bangladesh and Australia last met in a Test series in 2017, when Bangladesh secured a historic maiden Test victory over Australia in Dhaka. A planned Australian tour of Bangladesh in 2020 was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, the upcoming series will be the two sides’ first meeting in the World Test Championship era.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said the increasingly crowded international calendar makes access to world-class venues in August a significant advantage, underscoring the strategic importance of expanding Test cricket beyond the traditional summer window.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
