Australia will lock horns with Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series at Marrara Stadium in Darwin, starting on Thursday, August 13.
Australia, led by Pat Cummins, enters this series after defeating England 4-1 in January 2026. On the other hand, Bangladesh, captained by Najmul Hossain Shanto, suffered an innings-and-85-run defeat to Zimbabwe in the Only Test.
AUS vs BAN, Test Series 2026, Match 1 Details
Match: Australia vs Bangladesh, Test Series 2026, Match 1
Time & Date: 6:00 AM IST, August 13 to 17
Venue: Marrara Stadium, Darwin
AUS vs BAN, Test Series 2026, Match 1 Pitch Report
Only two Tests were played at this venue. The new-ball bowlers will extract a lot of lateral movement. However, batters need to spend some time in the middle to score runs. The captain, who won the toss, would love to bowl first.
AUS vs BAN, Test Series 2026, Match 1 Probable XIs
Australia
Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Bangladesh
Soumya Sarkar, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Litton Das (wk), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Shoriful Islam
AUS vs BAN, Test Series 2026, Match 1 Winner Prediction
Match Winner: Australia
These two sides have played six Tests against each other, with Australia winning five and Bangladesh only one. That said, we can expect the hosts to extend their lead with a comfortable win, thanks to their home advantage.
