Australia's marathon begins as Bangladesh bring cricket back to Darwin

Bangladesh face Australia at TIO Stadium in Darwin for the 1st Test, marking Bangladesh's first Test series on Australian soil in 23 years and Darwin's first Test in 22 years.

Historic Context: This match kicks off a massive 12-month period in which Australia are scheduled to play 20+ Tests. For Bangladesh, it is a rare opportunity to compete in Australian conditions. Australia's Returning Quartet: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon unite in the same Test attack for the first time in over a year, leaving Scott Boland on the bench.

Top-Order Questions for Australia: Jake Weatherald makes his home appearance looking to solidify his place as an opener, while Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne seek consistent form.

Bangladesh's Pacing Blow: The visitors are missing fast bowler Nahid Rana due to a side strain, placing greater reliance on captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, and pace spearhead Taskin Ahmed.

Conditioning & Pitch: Curator Jake Pavlich prepared a drop-in pitch expected to offer hard surface carry, requiring batters to be active when running square of the wicket.

Milestone Tracker

Josh Hazlewood: Needs 5 wickets to reach 300 Test wickets. Mitchell Starc: Needs 7 wickets to enter the top 10 all-time Test wicket-takers. Mushfiqur Rahim: Needs 194 runs to become the first Bangladeshi batter to reach 7,000 Test runs.

Putting this drop-in Test pitch together has been close to a 12-month project for Darwin's head curator Jake Pavlich. He hopes for a pitch that will be "nice and consistent with runs in it, and bowlers can work hard and get something out of it". Cummins said it "looks and feels hard".

With just two pitches on the square, players are preparing for runs square of the wicket to be tougher to come by. "We have spoken about running between the wickets where it is a little bit different when you have got a ten-wicket block and the ball races off square of the wicket, so just to be mindful of things like that," Beau Webster said.

There can be a little moisture on offer in the mornings before the sun gets to work but, as expected at this time of the year in northern Australia, the weather is set fair with temperatures around the 30-degree mark.

Cameron Green (Australia): Although the youngest member of the Australia Test side, Green is now 37 matches into his international Test career. Facing middling career averages, he enters a pivotal season where team management is eager to keep faith in him, expecting him to cement his role as a central figure in Australia's batting lineup during an intense 12-month schedule.

Najmul Hossain Shanto (Bangladesh): The Bangladesh captain carries immense responsibility within a vulnerable-looking batting lineup. Najmul Hossain Shanto has enjoyed a solid 2026 so far (averaging 46.83 across three matches) and boasts an impressive conversion rate, turning 9 of his 15 Test fifties into centuries. He recently showed glimpses of touch with a 37-run knock in the first innings against Cricket Australia XI.