Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are back in Australian line-up after long injury layoffs for first Test vs Bangladesh in Darwin from Thursday.
Updated: August 12, 2026, 5:24 PM IST
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Australian opener Travis Head (left) and Jake Weatherald at a training session in Darwin(Source: X)
Australia vs Bangladesh 2026 1st Test: Australian captain Pat Cummins and pacer Josh Hazlewood are back in Test cricket after missing most of the Ashes 2025-26 series against England as they begin a two-Test series against Bangladesh at the Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin on ThursdayCummins will be back leading the side, taking over from Steve Smith while Hazlewood comes into the playing 11 by replacing Scott Boland.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer needs only five more wickets to reach 300-wicket landmark in Test cricket while Mitchell Starc needs seven more wickets to reach the top 10 wicket-takers of all time.
The Delhi Capitals left-arm pacer had played in all five Ashes Tests, claiming 31 wickets in a 4-1 rout by Australia at home“We were pretty certain we wanted Lyono (Lyon) in the side, so (it came down to) working out what the make-up of the quicks was,” Cummins said in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.
“It’s always a pretty tight callIt’s one of those ones where there’s not much you can say to Scotty other than obviously there’s a lot of cricket coming upBut he knows his worth and how good he isI’m sure he’ll be out there at some point pretty soon,” Cummins added.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, are set to play their first Test in Australia after 23 yearsNajmul Hossain Shanto’s side are set to bring in Litton Das into the playing 11 at the number six and also take over the gloves behind the stumps.
“Litton gives us batting depthHe is consistentWe are hopeful of our batting unit doing well in the Test match,” Shanto said in the pre-match press conference.
The Bangladesh skipper also hinted that the visitors may field both frontline spinners – Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Taijul Islam – alongside three fast bowlers, despite the pace-friendly conditions in DarwinThey will, however, miss the services of their tearaway pacer Nahid Rana.
“It looks like a pretty good wicketWe haven’t had a chance to play on a drop-in wicket, but as professional cricketers, we have to adapt to those challengesAs I mentioned, the preparation is there, so I hope we can adjust to this conditionThere’s grass on the wicket, but it’s a good wicket where both batters and bowlers will find helpMaybe the bowlers will (get us good results),” Shanto felt.
Pre-Series Media Conference: Pat Cummins, Captain, Australia
Australia Bangladesh Test Series 2026
Darwin, Australia
Video Courtesy: Cricket Australia#BCB #Tigers #Bangladesh #Cricket #Australia pic.twitter.com/fxpI1vCu0f
— Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) August 12, 2026
Australia vs Bangladesh 2026 1st Test match Predicted 11
Australia: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (wk), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed/Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud
