Australia's series level after Mackay win

Australia captain Pat Cummins has outlined his plans for the upcoming white-ball fixtures and Test series against South Africa, following Australia's innings-and-51-run victory over Bangladesh in Mackay on Sunday. The win leveled the two-Test series 1-1, after Bangladesh had won the opening Test in Darwin by nine wickets.

Cummins was the standout bowler in Mackay, taking six wickets for the match, including figures of 3-25 and 3-10 in the two innings. This was his second Test back from a lower back complaint, and he said he felt good physically. "Physically I feel awesome and I am really happy to get through two Tests," he said.

Cummins' ODI plan and Test focus

Australia have three ODIs in Zimbabwe and another three in South Africa in late September, before the three-Test tour of South Africa in October. Cummins said he intends to play in some of those matches, but made clear that the Test series is the priority.

"The focus is the Test series so a lot of the white-ball and how we play that will be with an eye to the red-ball," he said. "I imagine it would be one, two or maybe a maximum of three out of those six (ODIs)."

He added that if he did not play in Zimbabwe, he would likely have "an extra week" off before the tour. Cummins also outlined his immediate preparation: "I imagine we will have a week off bowling, still do gym work and then start building up to that series."

This approach reflects Cummins' limited ODI appearances since Australia's 2023 World Cup win; as one report noted, he has played only a pair of ODIs since that triumph. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have also expressed willingness to be part of the ODIs, according to NewsBytes.

The South Africa challenge

Australia's next Test assignment is the three-match series in South Africa, a rematch of last year's World Test Championship final at Lord's, which the Proteas won. Cummins acknowledged the strength of the opposition: "They're a really strong side. We had a big series against them here in Australia a couple of years back and we probably exceeded expectations, played really well, and then they got us back at Lord's last year and outplayed us there," he said, as quoted by the ICC website.

The series could also serve as a preview of the 2027 World Test Championship final, with Australia and South Africa currently occupying the top two positions in the standings. Only six players in the current Australian squad have previously played a Test in South Africa; Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon, Smith and Renshaw were all part of the 2018 tour.

The Tests will be played in Durban, Gqeberha and Cape Town, with Cummins expecting varied conditions. "(These are) places we haven't played Test cricket for a while, so conditions are always a little bit unknown," he said. "Even the difference between Durban to Cape Town, they could be quite different styles of pitches. It's going to be great. That's why I love playing Test cricket."

Schedule ahead

After the South Africa tour, Australia will host New Zealand for a four-Test series in December and January, followed by the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India in early 2027. The New Zealand series includes the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the traditional Sydney fixture. The India series, beginning in Nagpur on January 21, will be played across five venues: Nagpur, Chennai, Guwahati, Ranchi and Ahmedabad.

The white-ball series against Zimbabwe and South Africa also have strategic implications for the 2027 ODI World Cup, which South Africa will co-host with Zimbabwe and Namibia. Cummins acknowledged this, though he emphasized that the immediate focus remains the Test series.

Bangladesh's perspective

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto called for more Test opportunities against major nations, following his side's defeat in Mackay. The series was Bangladesh's first Test tour of Australia in 23 years, and Shanto said that lack of exposure was a significant challenge.

"We showed our character and our discipline in that first Test and we need to be consistent. I believe if we are able to get more chances in similar kind of conditions here, it will help us," he said. Shanto also pointed to the long gap between tours: "Not long, long time — like 23 years... And then play two Test matches. It's not easy. If we have that opportunity, that chance to play every single year, it will help us to improve our game."

The Mackay Test was played at a venue hosting its first Test, and the pitch came under scrutiny after the match finished inside two days. Shanto described it as "quite a difficult wicket to bat," while Starc and Lyon welcomed the conditions, with Lyon calling it a good cricket wicket.

The series also highlighted the quick finishes that have become more common in Test cricket. The Mackay Test was the third of Australia's last seven home Tests to finish inside two days, following the Perth and Melbourne Ashes matches last summer. Cummins defended the trend, saying "A few Tests seem to be accelerated now. I'm sure it will revert to slow, steady games at some point. I can't really blame the conditions."

The two-day finish did not detract from Australia's performance, with Starc taking 10 wickets in the match and Australia securing a convincing win. As the team looks ahead to a demanding schedule, Cummins' focus remains clear: the Test series against South Africa.