Australia’s National Selection Panel on July 20 announced a strong 13-man squad for the two-Test series against Bangladesh. Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Captain Pat Cummins are back in the side after recovering from injuries.
Introducing your Australian Men’s squad to take on Bangladesh up north next month 🌴 pic.twitter.com/UmoJr69o1A
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) July 21, 2026
The first Test will be hosted at Marrara Stadium, Darwin, from August 13-17, 2026. The second fixture will be played at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay from August 22-26. Australia will now defend their number one spot in the World Test Championship standings.
Big Three Strengthen Australia’s Bowling Attack
Pat Cummins will captain the Australian side in his first Test match since December 2025. He suffered a back stress injury, which ruled him out for a long time. Remarkably, Cummins has only played one international match across all formats in the past year.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯. 😮💨🙇♂️
Hoff returns to Aussie’s Test team after almost a year away. Can’t wait to watch those thunderbolts fly again. ⚡️❤️🔥
#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB pic.twitter.com/sbRp7pfBXj
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) July 21, 2026
Furthermore, Josh Hazlewood returns to the Test arena for the first time since July 2025. He spent the last year battling difficult hamstring and Achilles injuries. Nathan Lyon, the nation’s most successful off-spinner, also makes his comeback after a serious hamstring tear required surgery. These three veterans have worked incredibly hard with medical teams to regain their fitness.
Notably, the selectors face a difficult choice for the opening match. They must decide which senior bowlers will start, as Scott Boland is also in excellent form. Boland took 20 wickets during the recent winter Ashes series against England.
Key Changes and New Faces in the Squad
The batting order has shifted in the squad selection following a big retirement. Usman Khawaja has recently retired from Test cricket, and there is a gap at the top of the order. So, the selectors have picked Jake Weatherald to combine with Travis Head as an opener potentially.
Weatherald has also been impressive for Leicestershire in the County Championship. He scored 483 runs with an average of 60.37. Darwin is his hometown, and there’s a good chance the first Test match will be held there.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Beau Webster joins the group as a versatile option for the middle order. He will compete with Cameron Green for a spot in the starting eleven. Green is expected to bat at number five now that Khawaja has finished his career. In contrast, some players who performed well during the injury-hit summer have missed out on this 13-man group.
Michael Neser has been squeezed out of Australia’s Test squad to face Bangladesh next month.
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc all set to be named tomorrow.
More news ⬇️https://t.co/SaaaExINyB @codecricketau @codesportsau
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) July 20, 2026
Michael Neser was left out despite taking 15 wickets in the winter Ashes. Todd Murphy and Brendan Doggett also missed selection but remain available as reserve players. The selectors chose to prioritise experienced stars for this series because of the high stakes in the World Test Championship.
Australia 13-Man Test Squad Against Bangladesh: Pat Cummins (Captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Challenging Venues: Darwin and Mackay
It is the first time Bangladesh has toured Australia for Test matches since 2003. The matches will be played in the northern cities of Darwin and Mackay. These locations offer different conditions than the major stadiums in Sydney or Melbourne.
The first Test will be played at Darwin’s Marrara Stadium. After that, teams head to the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay for the second Test. George Bailey said that the National Selection Panel is looking forward to seeing the senior stars back at these iconic grounds.
Besides that, the Australian team is currently at the top of the World Test Championship table. They’ve won seven of their first eight games in the current cycle. But Bangladesh is also doing well and is now in fourth position.
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