South Africa will clash with Australia in the first Test of the three-match series at Kingsmead in Durban, starting on Friday, October 9.
South Africa enters this Test series after a 2-0 Test series win over India away from home in November 2025. On the other hand, Australia levelled the recent two-match Test series against Bangladesh 1-1 in August 2026. While Australia holds the top spot in the WTC 2025-27 standings, South Africa is ranked second.
SA vs AUS, Test Series 2026, Match 1, Match Details
Match: South Africa vs Australia, Test Series 2026, Match 1
Time & Date: 1:00 PM IST, October 9 to 13
Venue: Kingsmead, Durban
SA vs AUS, Test Series 2026, Match 1 Pitch Report
The Durban surface is expected to help the pacers early on, with extra bounce on offer for the new-ball bowlers. Batters should get their fair share of runs on days two and three, before the spinners come into play in the later stages.
SA vs AUS, Test Series 2026, Match 1 Probable XIs
South Africa
Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Anrich Nortje
Australia
Matthew Renshaw, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
SA vs AUS, Test Series 2026, Match 1 Winner Prediction
Match Winner: South Africa
Both sides look strong on paper. However, South Africa have the better batting and bowling units, while Australia’s batting looks a little thin. On that basis, the hosts should start the three-match series with a win.
