The 1st Test match between South Africa and Australia during the Australia tour of South Africa 2026 is scheduled to begin on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Hollywood bets Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.
Match Details & Timings
- Dates: 9 October – 13 October 2026
- Start Time: 9:30 AM Local Time (7:30 AM GMT / 1:00 PM IST / 6:30 PM AEDT)
Team squads with their playing role
The full team squads alongside player roles for the 1st Test match between South Africa and Australia at Durban:
South Africa Squad
The Proteas named an 18-player preliminary squad for this crucial series opener:
Australia Squad
The visitors revised their squad following injuries to Josh Inglis and Cameron Green, drafting in Sam Harper and Nic Maddinson:
Head-to-Head Match Record
Australia leads the overall historical head-to-head Test match record against South Africa, having won 54 of their 101 encounters.
The extensive history between the two sides in Test cricket dates back to 1902. South Africa has claimed victory on 26 occasions, while 21 matches have ended in a draw.
Match Day Forecast
The 5-day match forecast at Kingsmead, Durban indicates excellent cricket weather with no threat of rain interruptions to disrupt play. High humidity levels hovering around 75% to 80% are expected to stay persistent throughout the match, which will likely give bowlers added assistance with morning swing.
The day-by-day forecast for the 1st Test is detailed below:
