Cricket Australia (CA) has decided to extend its hand to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) post the T20 World Cup 2026 boycott as they will be locked in with confirmation of the dates for the two-match Test series down under in August. The opening Test will take place at the Marrara Stadium in Darwin between August 13 and 17, with the Great Barrier Reef Arena hosting the second from August 22-26.

It will be the first red-ball series between the two countries since 2017 and only the second staged in Australia after they previously met 23 years ago. They were due to face each other in Bangladesh in mid-2020, but the series was later cancelled because of COVID-19.

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“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.” The chief executive of Cricket Australia, Todd Greenberg, expressed that both games will be part of the ongoing cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).

Australia to host Bangladesh for two Tests in August in 2026

It will be the start of the hectic run in the format for Australia, where they will feature in at least 20 matches between August 2024 and July 2025. Both Darwin and Mackay were part of their white-ball top-end series against South Africa last year, as Darwin staged two previous tests against the same side in 2003 and later against Sri Lanka in 2004.

The Mackay fixture will act as one of Queensland’s one Test of the next season, with the Gabba missing out on hosting New Zealand in the main summer. Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney will host those four games against the Kiwis, as planning has been underway for the future of the Gabba.

After facing Bangladesh, they will head to South Africa for three Tests before returning home for the summer against the Kiwis, which ends with a white-ball series by England. Post that, they will travel to India for the five-match red-ball series during January and February, and will also host England for the MCG Test in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the format.