Australia to Play First Test Against Bangladesh in Darwin
Listen to the story
Australia are about to begin a long home Test season, starting with a match against Bangladesh in Darwin. It will be the first Test cricket played in the city for a long time.
For Bangladesh too, this match ends a long wait, as the team returns to play a Test against Australia after many years away from this format against them.
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is back in the Australian squad for the Darwin Test after missing recent matches. His return gives Australia a stronger pace attack.
Wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey will continue to bat at number six, keeping the same batting order that Australia have used recently.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has spoken about what his team needs to do to succeed against Australia. He said finding the right approach will be important if Bangladesh want to compete well.
The match marks the start of a busy period of Test cricket for Australia, who will play several matches over the coming months as part of their home series schedule.
For Darwin, hosting the match is a rare chance to see international Test cricket, since the city does not often get matches at this level.
Fans and players from both sides will be watching closely to see how the new-look Australian side, with Hazlewood back, performs against Bangladesh in the tropical conditions of the Northern Territory city.
Vocabulary10 words
- Test
- a cricket match that can last five days
- format
- a particular type or style of a game
- squad
- the full group of players chosen for a team
- pace
- fast bowling in cricket
- batting order
- the order in which players bat in a match
- series
- a set of matches played between two teams
- approach
- the way someone plans to do something
- compete
- to try to win against another team
- captain
- the player who leads the team
- conditions
- the weather and ground situation during a match
Quiz
Answer key
1. A long wait for a Test match 2. He is returning to the Australian squad 3. How Bangladesh can succeed against Australia
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Australia are about to begin a long home Test _____, starting with a match against Bangladesh in Darwin.
It will be the first Test cricket played in the city for a long _____.
For Bangladesh too, this match ends a long _____.
Fast bowler Josh _____ is back in the Australian squad for the Darwin Test.
His return gives Australia a stronger _____ attack.
Alex Carey will continue to bat at number _____.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain _____ has spoken about what his team needs to do.
He said finding the right _____ will be important.
The match marks the start of a busy period of Test cricket for _____.
Fans will be watching to see how the new-look Australian side performs in the _____ conditions of Darwin.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think it took a long time for Darwin to host a Test match?
- How important is it for a bowler like Hazlewood to return before a big series?
- Do you think keeping the same batting order helps a team's performance? Why or why not?
- What kind of 'approach' do you think a team needs to succeed against a stronger opponent?