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Australia faces South Africa in a high-stakes Test series, marking a return to Cape Town eight years after the Sandpapergate scandal. With the World Test Championship final on the line, the Australian squad is under pressure to redeem themselves following a loss to Bangladesh. South Africa enters the series as reigning World Test Champions, bolstered by their recent ODI victory and strong historical performance against Australia.
Cricket - South Africa vs Australia - Third Test - Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa - March 25, 2018 South Africa's Morne Morkel celebrates with team mates after taking the wicket of Australia's Steve Smith REUTERS/Mike Hutchings - RC14DEA9F480 Australia are set to square off against South Africa in the most anticipated overseas Test series since the 2023 Ashes.
Returning to the country to play long-form cricket for the first time since the Sandpapergate scandal of 2018, the Australian line-up boasts plenty of survivors from that infamous tour eight years ago. Watch Australia’s Tour of South Africa Live & Exclusive on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo?
And having put their chances of a third consecutive World Test Championship final in jeopardy with a shock loss to Bangladesh in Darwin in August, the Aussies have more than just redemption to play for. The three-Test series continues the visitors’ action-packed 12-month calendar featuring a further 18 Tests, plus a potential World Test Championship final.
An experienced 16-man squad features several players whose spots in the team are in jeopardy, none more so than Marnus Labuschagne, who heads into his first Test series in his country of birth under heavy pressure to perform. Reigning World Test Champions South Africa, meanwhile, are riding high off their victory over Australia in the ODI series, and have strong recent history on their side against their antipodean rivals.
They stunned Pat Cummins’ men in last cycle’s WTC final at Lord’s in 2025, with opener Aiden Markram’s stellar fourth-innings century securing South Africa their first major international trophy since their readmission to the game in 1991. Australia’s record in South Africa is formidable: up until Sandpapergate, they hadn’t lost a Test series in the nation since 1970, winning or drawing seven of seven series post-readmission.
The series begins with the first Test on Friday, 9 October 2026, and will be broadcast live and exclusively on Fox Cricket. The only place to watch all three Tests against South Africa is Fox Cricket, with live and exclusive coverage via Foxtel and streaming on Kayo Sports.
First Test: Friday 9 October – Tuesday 13 October, starting 6:30pm at Kingsmead, Durban Second Test: Sunday 18 October – Thursday 22 October, starting 7pm at St George’s Park, GqeberhaAustralian selectors have named an experienced 16-man touring party for the three-Test series, with all 13 players named in the second Test squad to face Bangladesh in August retained for the South African series. Veteran seamer Michael Neser has been added after missing the Bangladesh series due to injury, as has back-up spinner Matt Kuhnemann, while young gun Cooper Connolly will stay on from the ODI squad as one of just two players in the squad under 30.
However, back-up batter and reserve wicketkeeper Josh Inglis is in doubt after returning home with a broken finger following the first ODI against South Africa. An ongoing Australia A tour of India featuring a number of potential replacements, including Nathan McSweeney, Peter Handscomb and Sam Konstas, has seen no one put themselves into contention with a strong performance, either.
Pat Cummins , Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. The Proteas have named star quick Kagiso Rabada in an 18-man squad for the first Test in Durban. The long-time Australian tormentor had appeared unlikely to feature in the series after suffering a hamstring tear in August.
But he is set to be given every chance to suit up in Kingsmead in a major boost for the Proteas, who will be without WTC final hero Lungi Ngidi from their pace attack. Express paceman Anrich Nortje, who starred in South Africa’s tour of Australia in 2022/23, is in line to play his first Test in more than three years.
Temba Bavuma , Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, and Kyle Verreynne.
Cricket Test Series Australia South Africa World Test Championship
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