Australia tour set for June
Australia will visit Bangladesh in June this year to play two Tests against the Tigers in Chattogram and Dhaka. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) yesterday released the itinerary for the tour without confirming the Australia cricket team's arrival date.
Australia will kick off their campaign with a four-day warm-up match before playing the first Test in Chattogram, but the date and venue for the practice game are yet to be confirmed.
The series will take place after Bangladesh return from England, where they are scheduled to play four T20Is against Ireland after three ODIs against the same opposition in Belfast across the month of May.
This will be Australia's third visit of Bangladesh. They last played a Test series in Bangladesh in August-September 2017, when a two-match series ended in a stalemate after Tigers had pulled off a famous 20-run victory against a Steve Smith-led side. Shakib Al Hasan's magnificent all-round show helped Bangladesh to win the first Test in Mirpur but the home side succumbed to Nathan Lyon's spin web in Chattogram and suffered a seven-wicket defeat in the second Test.
During the first trip in April 2006, Rickey Ponting led from the front with an unbeaten 118 in the second innings as Australia survived a scare in the first Test in Fatullah to win by three wickets. They had ultimately won 2-0 after an emphatic innings and 80-run victory in the second Test in Chattogram.
This time, Australia are going to play a series in June, which is one of the wettest months in Bangladesh, with the BCB having last hosted one Test in the month in 2015, a rainy draw against India in Fatullah. Considering the 120 Test Championship points at stake -- 60 points for a win per Test match -- the wet conditions can put Bangladesh and Australia's ability to earn maximum points at risk.
Although it will be a third visit for Australia, Bangladesh have not played a Test in Australia since 2003 after Australia decided against hosting Bangladesh in 2018 due to financial reasons.
Australia are also expected to visit Bangladesh again next year to play a three-match T20 series in the lead-in to the T20 World Cup in India.
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