By CRIC INFO 365 Staff | September 20, 2026
Australia in South Africa 2026 from September 24 to October 31, 2026, for three ODIs and three Tests. It is Australia’s first Test visit to South Africa since 2018. It is also, more importantly, the first time these two teams have met in Test cricket since South Africa beat Australia in the World Test Championship Final at Lord’s in June 2025.
That result is the real story behind this tour. Everything below, the dates, the squads, the stats, sits on top of that one fact.
When and Where Are the Matches?
Six matches, three venues for the ODIs and three for the Tests, spread across five weeks.
| # | Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st ODI | September 24, 2026 | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 2 | 2nd ODI | September 27, 2026 | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 3 | 3rd ODI | September 30, 2026 | Senwes Park, Potchefstroom |
| 4 | 1st Test | October 9 to 13, 2026 | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 5 | 2nd Test | October 18 to 22, 2026 | St George’s Park, Gqeberha |
| 6 | 3rd Test | October 27 to 31, 2026 | Newlands, Cape Town |
The ODI leg wraps up quickly, three matches in six days, before a nine day gap gives both squads time to reset for the Test series. That gap matters more than usual this year, because several players are involved in only one half of the tour.
Each Test venue carries its own character worth knowing before a ball is bowled. Kingsmead in Durban tends to offer early seam movement under overcast coastal conditions, which usually rewards a team that wins the toss and bowls first. St George’s Park in Gqeberha has historically been a fairer batting surface than the other two grounds, while Newlands in Cape Town, the venue for the series decider, has a reputation for pace and bounce that has troubled visiting batting lineups for decades. That progression, from seam friendly to balanced to genuinely quick, means the series could easily tighten rather than settle into a pattern.
Why Is This Tour Bigger Than a Normal Bilateral Series?
Most Australia away tours get billed as tough assignments on paper. This one carries something sharper: unfinished business. South Africa beat Australia by five wickets in the 2025 WTC Final at Lord’s, ending Australia’s bid to defend the title they won in 2023. Kagiso Rabada took nine wickets across that match and was named player of the final. Temba Bavuma lifted the Proteas’ first ever World Test Championship title as captain.
Australia have not played a Test against South Africa since. This series is the first chance either side gets to settle that result on the field, and it happens on South African soil, where Australia have not toured for a Test series since 2018.
That 2018 tour carries its own weight in Australian cricket history. It was the series that ended in the ball tampering scandal at Newlands, the same ground hosting this tour’s third Test, which cost Steve Smith and David Warner their leadership positions for years. Smith is back in this squad as a senior batter rather than captain. Cape Town has not hosted Australia in a Test since.
What’s the Wider WTC Context?
Both teams enter this series inside the top three of the new 2025 to 2027 World Test Championship cycle standings. Australia currently sit on top of the table with a points percentage above 87 percent, built on a strong run through their home season. South Africa sit in third place with a points percentage around 75 percent from fewer matches played, still an excellent return but with more ground to make up.
That gap is exactly why this series matters beyond bragging rights. Points percentage, not total points, decides WTC final qualification, so a team with fewer matches played can close the gap fast with wins in a series like this one. South Africa’s coach Shukri Conrad has been open about treating this series as a building block for two different long term goals at once, the 2027 World Cup and another shot at the WTC final, rather than as a standalone contest.
For Australia, the incentive runs the other way. A strong points return here all but locks in another WTC final appearance, while a poor away series in conditions that have troubled visiting teams for decades would open the door for South Africa, India or England to close the gap.
Australia’s Test Squad
Pat Cummins captains a 16 player squad that leans toward experience but makes room for conditions specific selections. Marnus Labuschagne keeps his middle order spot despite recent scrutiny over his form, while Matthew Kuhnemann, Michael Neser and Cooper Connolly all come in as cover suited to South African conditions rather than as automatic picks from the home season squad.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Pat Cummins (c) | Fast bowler |
| Steve Smith | Batter |
| Travis Head | Batter |
| Marnus Labuschagne | Batter |
| Matthew Renshaw | Batter |
| Alex Carey | Wicketkeeper |
| Josh Inglis | Wicketkeeper |
| Cameron Green | All rounder |
| Cooper Connolly | All rounder |
| Beau Webster | All rounder |
| Scott Boland | Fast bowler |
| Josh Hazlewood | Fast bowler |
| Mitchell Starc | Fast bowler |
| Michael Neser | Fast bowler |
| Nathan Lyon | Spinner |
| Matthew Kuhnemann | Spinner |
Kuhnemann’s inclusion is worth a second look. Left arm finger spin has historically struggled to find purchase on South African pitches compared to the wrist spin options other touring sides have tried, but Cricket Australia clearly wants a second frontline spin option alongside Nathan Lyon rather than relying on part time overs from the batting group. The International Cricket Council confirmed the full squad alongside the reasoning behind each of the conditions specific additions when Cricket Australia made the announcement.
Australia’s ODI Squad
Mitchell Marsh captains the white ball squad, a separate leadership track from the Test side that Australia has now run for several seasons. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are named in this squad specifically for the South Africa matches, which points to a broader ODI assignment on the calendar beyond just this tour that the pair will not be part of.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Mitchell Marsh (c) | All rounder |
| Travis Head | Batter |
| Matthew Renshaw | Batter |
| Cameron Green | All rounder |
| Cooper Connolly | All rounder |
| Oliver Peake | All rounder |
| Alex Carey | Wicketkeeper |
| Josh Inglis | Wicketkeeper |
| Pat Cummins | Fast bowler, South Africa matches only |
| Mitchell Starc | Fast bowler, South Africa matches only |
| Josh Hazlewood | Fast bowler |
| Xavier Bartlett | Fast bowler |
| Nathan Ellis | Fast bowler |
| Spencer Johnson | Fast bowler |
| Billy Stanlake | Fast bowler |
| Joel Davies | Batter |
| Adam Zampa | Spinner |
The seam bowling depth in this list is deliberate. Six specialist quicks in a 17 player ODI squad is a heavy allocation, and it reflects how much Australia want fresh legs available across a short, sharp three match series before the group splits for the Test squad.
South Africa’s ODI Squad
Temba Bavuma leads a squad Cricket South Africa itself has described as near full strength, with two significant absences shaping the bowling attack. Kagiso Rabada is out entirely, sidelined by a hamstring injury picked up during training with his domestic side, the Lions, in August. Dewald Brevis has not been picked either, a selection call rather than an injury, with the young all rounder instead directed toward first class cricket ahead of the Tests.
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Temba Bavuma (c) | Batter |
| Quinton de Kock | Wicketkeeper |
| Ryan Rickelton | Wicketkeeper |
| Tony de Zorzi | Batter |
| Matthew Breetzke | Batter |
| David Miller | Batter |
| Tristan Stubbs | Batter |
| Aiden Markram | Batter, available for 2nd and 3rd ODIs only |
| Marco Jansen | All rounder |
| Corbin Bosch | All rounder |
| Gerald Coetzee | Fast bowler |
| Ottneil Baartman | Fast bowler |
| Lungi Ngidi | Fast bowler |
| Kwena Maphaka | Fast bowler |
| Keshav Maharaj | Spinner |
| Bjorn Fortuin | Spinner |
Coetzee’s recall is a genuine story on its own. He last played an ODI at the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, so this squad marks a return to the format after close to three years away, largely spent rebuilding fitness and form through domestic and franchise cricket. Cricket Australia has been tracking the Proteas’ squad build up in detail as part of its own tour coverage.
What About South Africa’s Test Squad?
South Africa had not yet named a Test squad at the time of writing, with the announcement expected after the ODI series wraps up on September 30. The one certainty is that this decision will hinge heavily on Rabada.
His hamstring injury ruled him out of the ODIs outright, and Cricket South Africa’s own statement on his fitness left his Test involvement genuinely open, saying his selection would depend on how his rehabilitation progresses in the weeks before the first Test on October 9. The International Cricket Council has been following the specifics of his recovery closely, given his nine wicket haul in the WTC final this series is effectively answering. For a bowler that central to the result, his availability is the single biggest variable hanging over South Africa’s Test squad announcement.
Brevis’s situation offers a smaller but related storyline. Being left out of the ODIs to focus on first class cricket is usually a signal that a player is being lined up for red ball selection rather than sidelined altogether, so his form in domestic four day cricket over the next few weeks is worth tracking specifically with the Test squad announcement in mind.
What Does the Head to Head Record Say?
The recent Test record between these two sides is more one sided than the current WTC standings might suggest, at least on paper. Australia won both Tests in South Africa’s tour of Australia in the 2022 to 2023 season, an innings victory in Melbourne and a six wicket win in Brisbane, before a rain affected draw in Sydney closed out that series 2 to 0 in Australia’s favor. Before that, South Africa’s most recent Test win over Australia came all the way back in 2018, in Johannesburg, part of the tour that ended in the sandpaper scandal in Cape Town.
None of that history matters as much as the one result that actually decided a title. The 2025 WTC final flips the emotional weight of this rivalry entirely. Australia may hold the better recent bilateral record, but South Africa holds the result that carried a trophy, and they now get to defend that superiority in home conditions rather than at a neutral ground. For Australia, this series is less about the head to head column and more about proving the WTC final was the exception rather than a changing of the guard.
What Storylines Should You Watch For?
A few threads are worth following beyond the results themselves.
Rabada’s fitness is the biggest one. A South African pace attack built around him looks genuinely dangerous in home conditions. Without him, the responsibility shifts toward Marco Jansen and whoever else makes the eventual Test squad, a considerably less proven attack against a batting lineup that includes Smith, Head and Labuschagne.
Kuhnemann and Neser’s inclusion in Australia’s squad is worth watching for what it says about tactical planning rather than just squad depth. Neither is an automatic Test pick in home conditions, and picking both specifically for this tour suggests Australia’s team management expects South African conditions to demand a different bowling balance than what worked domestically this year.
Gerald Coetzee’s return after a three year ODI absence is a smaller story but a meaningful one for South Africa’s depth heading toward the 2027 World Cup. If he performs well across these three matches, he becomes a genuine option for the tournament rather than a name reappearing for one series and disappearing again.
FAQs
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When does the Australia tour of South Africa 2026 start and end?
It starts September 24, 2026, with the first ODI in Durban, and ends October 31, 2026, with the third Test in Cape Town.
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How many matches are being played?
Six matches in total: three ODIs and three Tests.
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Who is captaining each side?
Pat Cummins captains Australia’s Test side and Mitchell Marsh captains the ODI side. Temba Bavuma captains South Africa across both formats.
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Why is this series being called a WTC rematch?
South Africa beat Australia in the 2025 World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, their first ever WTC title. This is the first time the two sides have played a Test against each other since that match.
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Is Kagiso Rabada playing in this series?
He has been ruled out of the ODIs with a hamstring injury. His availability for the Tests, starting October 9, depends on his recovery and had not been confirmed at the time of writing.
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What is the recent head to head record between Australia and South Africa?
Australia won their most recent bilateral Test series 2 to 0 at home in the 2022 to 2023 season. South Africa’s last Test series win over Australia came in 2018, but they hold the most recent result that mattered most, the 2025 WTC Final.
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Where can I watch the Australia vs South Africa matches?
Broadcast details are typically confirmed closer to the series through each board’s usual domestic broadcasters, along with international streaming partners in most other regions.
Final Word
Strip away the schedule and the squad lists, and this tour comes down to one question: was the 2025 WTC final a genuine changing of the guard, or a single result that Australia can put right on South African soil. Rabada’s fitness, Kuhnemann’s role, and how South Africa’s still unnamed Test squad shapes up will all feed into the answer. Six matches across five weeks should give a clearer picture than any preview can.
For live scores, squad updates and match reports as this series unfolds, keep this page bookmarked.
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