Australia taking ‘one week at a time’ as mammoth Test schedule begins against Bangladesh

Wicketkeeper Alex Carey says it has been a ‘long winter’ of waiting for the match in Darwin which is the first of at least 20 Tests over the next 12 months

Test cricket in Darwin is an oddity, as Australia and Bangladesh prepare for the first five-dayer in the Top End since 2004. But there is something downright strange about the red-ball adventure the Australians are about to embark on.

The two-Test series against Bangladesh, including the second match scheduled for Mackay in two weeks, begins a schedule of at least 20 Tests for the Australian team over the coming 12-month period.