South Africa and Australia Open 2026 Test Series in Durban on October 9

South Africa and Australia set for Durban Test opener

South Africa and Australia will begin their three-Test series at Kingsmead in Durban on October 9, 2026. The match is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. local time and remains listed as yet to begin.

Australia are ranked No. 1 in Tests, with South Africa at No. 2. The head-to-head record also favors Australia: they have won 54 of 102 Tests between the teams, while South Africa have recorded 27 victories.

Recent form

South Africa have won three of their four Tests over the past year, giving them a 75 percent win rate. Australia have played seven Tests in the same period, winning five and losing two for a 71.43 percent success rate.

Players to watch

Tony de Zorzi is South Africa's leading run-scorer over the last year with 278 runs, while Simon Harmer leads their wicket-taking chart with 30 wickets. For Australia, Travis Head has accumulated 690 runs and Mitchell Starc has taken 43 wickets during the period.

The South African squad includes captain Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen and wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton. Australia's group is led by Pat Cummins and includes Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey.

Match details

Match: South Africa vs Australia, first Test
Series: Australia tour of South Africa, 2026
Venue: Kingsmead, Durban
Date: October 9, 2026
Status: Match yet to begin