After a 23-year wait, Bangladesh are set to return to Test cricket in Australia, reviving a contest that has been absent from the calendar for more than two decades. The Tigers last played a Test on Australian soil in 2003. Their long-awaited return begins on Thursday, 13 August, when they face Australia at Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin.

The first Test of the two-match series will begin at 6.30am Bangladesh time. The second and final Test is scheduled for 22 August in Mackay.

While Bangladesh will be seeking a strong performance against one of Test cricket’s most formidable sides, several players from both teams have personal landmarks within reach.

Mushfiqur Rahim closing in on 7,000 Test runs

Bangladesh’s veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim is perhaps the closest to a landmark that would carry considerable significance for the country’s Test cricket history.

After almost 21 years in the format, Mushfiqur has scored 6,806 runs in 103 Tests and 190 innings. His record includes 14 centuries and 29 fifties.

He needs another 194 runs to become the first Bangladeshi batter to reach 7,000 Test runs. Achieving the mark in Australia would make the milestone even more notable, given the demanding conditions and the quality of the home side’s bowling attack.

Mushfiqur’s experience will be crucial as Bangladesh attempt to cope with Australia’s pace bowlers, particularly with the new ball likely to offer assistance to the seamers.

Smith chasing a first Test century against Bangladesh

Australia’s former captain Steve Smith also has an unusual statistic to address. Among the teams he has faced in the World Test Championship era, Bangladesh remain the only side against whom he has yet to score a Test century.

Smith played two Tests against Bangladesh in 2017, scoring 119 runs at an average of 29.75. Those figures were modest by the standards of one of the leading batters of his generation.

Playing at home this time, Smith has another opportunity to end that wait. Bangladesh’s bowlers will therefore have a clear priority: dismiss the experienced right-hander before he can settle at the crease.

Hazlewood five wickets away from 300

Josh Hazlewood is another Australian with a major milestone within reach. The fast bowler currently has 295 Test wickets and needs only five more to reach 300.

If he achieves the feat during the series, Hazlewood would become the 42nd bowler in Test history and the ninth Australian to claim 300 wickets.

His accuracy makes the milestone particularly relevant to Bangladesh. On Australian pitches, Hazlewood’s ability to maintain a disciplined line and length with the new ball can make life extremely difficult for visiting batters.

Starc closing in on Kapil Dev and Dale Steyn

Mitchell Starc also enters the series with history within reach. The left-arm quick has taken 431 wickets in 105 Tests, placing him close to two celebrated names in the all-time rankings.

He needs five wickets to move beyond India’s World Cup-winning former captain Kapil Dev, who finished his Test career with 434 wickets. Nine wickets would take Starc past South Africa great Dale Steyn’s tally of 439.

That makes Starc a major threat throughout the two-Test contest. Bangladesh’s top order will have to withstand his pace, movement and ability to attack the stumps while also managing the pressure created by Australia’s other seamers.

Travis Head adds another challenge

Travis Head could pose a different sort of problem for Bangladesh. Since moving into the opening role, the left-hander has brought an especially aggressive approach to the beginning of Australia’s innings.

Since 2025, Head has recorded a strike rate of 91.7 as an opener, the highest among batters who have opened in multiple innings during that period.

His boundary-hitting has also been striking. He has averaged 12.7 boundaries per 100 balls as an opener, underlining his ability to change the momentum of an innings very quickly.

For Bangladesh’s new-ball attack, removing Head early will therefore be crucial. If he is allowed to score freely during the opening exchanges, Australia could gain control of the match before the visitors have had an opportunity to settle.

Australia’s pace attack presents the biggest test

Perhaps the most difficult challenge for Bangladesh will come from Australia’s fast bowlers. Over the past two years, Australia’s Test pacers have taken wickets at an average cost of 20.75 runs each. Only South Africa’s pace attack, with a bowling average of 20.16 over the same period, has been more economical.

The Australian quicks have been particularly effective against right-handed batters, averaging 19.55 runs per wicket against them. Their average against left-handers has been higher, at 24.08.

That distinction could matter because Bangladesh’s batting order contains a greater number of right-handers. The statistics underline the scale of the challenge awaiting the visitors, particularly during the early stages of each innings.

A return that means more than personal records

The individual milestones add an extra layer of interest to the series, but Bangladesh’s return to Australia is significant in its own right.

Mushfiqur’s pursuit of 7,000 Test runs, Smith’s search for a first Test century against Bangladesh, Hazlewood’s approach to 300 wickets and Starc’s attempt to move beyond Kapil Dev and Dale Steyn all provide compelling storylines.

For Bangladesh, though, the central question is much broader. Can their batters withstand Australia’s formidable pace attack? Can their bowlers contain an aggressive batting line-up led by players such as Head and Smith? And, after 23 years away, can they adapt quickly enough to Australian conditions?

The answers will shape the series.

Bangladesh’s return to Australian Test cricket is therefore more than a long-awaited fixture. It is an opportunity to test the team’s resilience against elite opposition, while several established players on both sides stand on the brink of milestones that could add a memorable chapter to an already significant series.