Bangladesh Post 263 in Darwin Warm-Up Before Tests

Bangladesh posted 263 against a Cricket Australia XI in Darwin on the opening day of their only warm-up fixture, a week before the first Test of a two-match series against a full-strength Australia side.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz made a century. The home XI closed on 51 for two, trailing by 212, after Corey Rocchiccioli had taken six wickets in the Bangladesh innings.

What is the series?

Australia host Bangladesh for two Tests, the first beginning on 13 August at Marrara in Darwin. It is the first time the venue has staged Test cricket in more than two decades.

Australia named a 13-man squad for the series, choosing to field a full-strength side rather than rest senior players ahead of a subsequent tour of South Africa.

When does Australia play Bangladesh in 2026?

Australia host Bangladesh for a two-Test series in August 2026, with the first Test beginning on 13 August 2026 at Marrara in Darwin. Bangladesh opened their tour with a three-day warm-up fixture against a Cricket Australia XI at Darwin from 6 August, posting 263 in their first innings with a century from Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while off-spinner Corey Rocchiccioli took six wickets. Australia have named a 13-man squad and elected to field a full-strength side rather than rotate players ahead of a subsequent tour of South Africa. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto described that decision as a mark of respect for his team, and said his fast bowlers would test the hosts. Litton Das was added to the Bangladesh Test squad after recovering from a calf injury.

What have the captains said?

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his fast bowlers would give Australia a difficult time, and welcomed the decision to field a full-strength side as a sign of the respect his team had earned.

Litton Das was added to the Bangladesh squad after recovering from a calf injury that ruled him out of fixtures in July.

How did the warm-up go?

Rocchiccioli’s six wickets were the standout for the home side, though the off-spinner was not named in the Test squad. Miraz’s century steadied Bangladesh after early losses.

For the Cricket Australia XI, openers Sam Konstas and Campbell Kellaway both fell cheaply to the Bangladesh new-ball attack, leaving the hosts 51 for two at the close of the first day.

Why Darwin?

Darwin sits in the Northern Territory and its dry season runs through the middle of the year, which makes August one of the few windows when Test cricket is playable there. Most Australian Tests are staged in the southern summer.

The scheduling gives Bangladesh conditions closer to their own than a Sydney or Melbourne fixture would, with heat and humidity rather than seam-friendly southern pitches. It also places the series outside the crowded home summer calendar.

Bangladesh have played very little Test cricket in Australia, and the two sides have met far more often in one-day formats than in the long form.

Australia’s decision to field a full squad removes one variable the tourists might otherwise have exploited. Sides touring Australia in the off-season have sometimes met weakened opposition, and Shanto’s remarks suggest Bangladesh regard the full-strength selection as a shift in how they are viewed.

The first Test also marks a return of Test cricket to a venue that has staged it only rarely.

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