Two-Test series in August to kickstart Australia’s busy World Test Championship schedule

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Australia’s northern cities of Darwin and Mackay are set to host Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in August, officially confirming venues and dates for the highly anticipated Top End tour. The series marks the return of Test cricket to Darwin for the first time since 2004 and will also see Mackay stage its maiden Test match.

The opening Test will be played at Marrara Stadium in Darwin from August 13-17, followed by the second Test at Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay from August 22-26. This will be the first Test series between Australia and Bangladesh since 2017 and only the second time the two sides have met in Australia, with their previous encounter dating back to 2003. A planned tour to Bangladesh in 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The series forms part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and begins a demanding stretch of red-ball cricket for Australia. Between August 2024 and July 2025, Australia are scheduled to play at least 20 Test matches, making it one of their busiest periods in the longest format.

Darwin previously hosted two Tests — against Bangladesh in 2003 and Sri Lanka in 2004 — and was also part of Australia’s recent white-ball Top End series against South Africa. Mackay, meanwhile, continues its growing reputation as an international venue after hosting limited-overs fixtures in recent seasons.

Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg highlighted the significance of the northern venues in managing the packed international calendar, noting that world-class facilities in August provide an additional window for hosting Test cricket outside the traditional summer season.

The Mackay Test will serve as Queensland’s designated home fixture next season, with the Gabba missing out during the main summer. Australia’s home summer will feature a white-ball tour by England and a four-Test series against New Zealand, with matches scheduled in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Planning around the Gabba has faced uncertainty due to redevelopment considerations linked to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, though it is expected to return to the schedule before eventual demolition after the Games.

Following the Bangladesh series, Australia will tour South Africa for three Tests, alongside white-ball matches including ODIs in Zimbabwe. The schedule then continues with a challenging five-Test tour of India in January and February, before hosting England at the MCG in March for the historic 150th anniversary Test. A potential ICC World Test Championship final could follow, ahead of the next away Ashes series in 2027.

Bangladesh will also visit Australia in June for a limited-overs series featuring ODIs and T20Is, further strengthening bilateral cricket ties between the two nations.

With Darwin’s return and Mackay’s historic debut, the Bangladesh Top End tour promises to be a significant chapter in Australia’s packed Test calendar and the broader World Test Championship race.