Cricket Australia requests BCB to reschedule 2027 Test series for 150th anniversary Test vs England: Reports

Cricket Australia (CA) has reportedly requested the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to reschedule its two-match Test tour Down Under, scheduled for March 2027 to August-September 2026, to make space for a special Test against England.

CA wants to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first-ever Test match in 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with a one-off Test against England. CA also organized a centenary Test in March 1977 at the MCG.

"They (CA) have requested us to reschedule it (tour for Test series in 2027) but it is still under discussion. They have got a plan to celebrate their 150 year anniversary and that is a national commitment and due to that they want to reschedule the Test series against us and working on that," BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury told Cricbuzz.

Before the two Bangladesh Tests, the Aussies are scheduled to play a three-match Test series against New Zealand in the 2026 summer. Australia reportedly want to extend it to four Tests, which will be followed by a five-match Test tour of India in January-February 2027.

For Bangladesh, fitting a two-match Test tour to Australia in August-September 2026 will pack their calendars. The Bangla Tigers are scheduled to tour Zimbabwe and Ireland in July and August that year followed by rubbers against West Indies at home and South Africa away in October and November.

But Bangladesh haven't toured Australia since 2003 when they went Down Under for two Tests for the first time. They were scheduled to visit in 2018 but it was canceled because host broadcasters didn't find it "commercially viable".

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Who won the first and the centenary Tests between Australia and England?

This is one for the quiz masters - Australia won both the first Test in 1877 and the 100th anniversary Test in 1977 by the same margin - 45 runs.

Both matches transpired in opposite ways but ended with the same result.