Australia's Historic Test Series Against South Africa in 2026

Australia’s long road back to South Africa is finally set.

For the first time since that searing World Test Championship final in London in 2025 – when South Africa ripped the mace from Australian hands with a five‑wicket win – the two sides will square up again in the longest format. This time, on South African soil, across three Tests in October 2026, squeezed into a brutal 22‑day window.

And the baggage coming with them is heavy.

A tour loaded with history

Australia have not played a Test series in South Africa since 2018, the year “sandpaper gate” tore through the sport and reshaped careers, reputations and dressing rooms on both sides. That scandal still hangs in the background whenever these teams share a field.

Now the Australians return for a seven‑week tour that will test depth, discipline and nerve. Before a ball is bowled in the Tests, they must grind through six ODIs across two countries: three against Zimbabwe, starting in Harare on September 15, then three more against South Africa.

Only then do the real scars get probed.

Australia and the reigning World Test Champions will collide in a three‑match Test series that promises little respite. Three games. Twenty‑two days. No place to hide for bowlers or batters, captains or coaches.

How to watch the tour

Australian fans will need a subscription to follow every ball.

There is no free-to-air coverage of the tour in Australia. All nine internationals – three ODIs against Zimbabwe, three ODIs against South Africa and the three‑Test series – will be broadcast live on Fox Cricket, with streaming available via Kayo Sports.

No late‑night channel surfing. No accidental discoveries. If you want to see Australia walk back into the cauldron, you have to go looking for it.

The road through Zimbabwe and South Africa

The schedule opens in Harare, where Australia face Zimbabwe in three ODIs that serve as both opportunity and examination. Fringe players and rising names get their chance to stake a claim before the spotlight intensifies in South Africa.

From there, the tempo rises. Three ODIs against South Africa will sharpen combinations and rhythms, but also offer an early read on whether Australia have learned enough from that World Test Championship defeat.

Then comes the main event: Australia and South Africa, red ball in hand, renewing a rivalry that has rarely lacked edge. The World Test Championship title, the 2018 scandal, and years of unfinished business all feed into a series that will be played at sprint pace over three hard weeks.

Australia’s ODI squad: youth, pace and power

The ODI leg of the tour offers a clear look at Australia’s evolving white‑ball core.

Xavier Bartlett
Alex Carey
Cooper Connolly
Pat Cummins (South African matches only)
Joel Davies
Nathan Ellis
Cameron Green
Josh Hazlewood
Travis Head
Josh Inglis
Spencer Johnson
Mitch Marsh
Oliver Peake
Matthew Renshaw
Billy Stanlake
Mitchell Starc (South African matches only)
Adam Zampa

It is a blend that tells its own story. Established leaders such as Pat Cummins, Mitch Marsh, Josh Hazlwood, Mitchell Starc, Travis Head and Adam Zampa anchor the group, but Cummins and Starc are being held back specifically for the South African leg, a clear nod to workload and the need to have their premier quicks at full tilt when the opposition stiffens.

Around them, the next wave gathers. Xavier Bartlett and Spencer Johnson bring raw pace and promise. Nathan Ellis offers subtlety and death‑over craft. Cooper Connolly, Joel Davies and Oliver Peake hint at a future where Australia’s batting depth stretches well beyond the familiar names.

Alex Carey and Josh Inglis will continue their duel for the gloves in limited overs, while Cameron Green again straddles formats and roles, asked to be both enforcer and glue. Matthew Renshaw’s inclusion underlines his value as a flexible top‑order option who can adapt to conditions in Harare and South Africa alike.

The Test squad for the South African series is still to be confirmed, but the tone of the tour is already set. A demanding itinerary. A champion home side. Old wounds, new stakes.

When Australia walk out for that first Test in October, it will not just be another series on the calendar. It will be a reckoning – with South Africa, with the World Test Championship defeat, and with the ghosts of 2018 still lurking on the boundary rope.