Chris Gaffaney and Richard Kettleborough are the on-field umpires for the South Africa vs Australia 1st Test at Kingsmead, Durban, which started on Friday, October 9, 2026. Richard Illingworth is the third umpire, and former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath is the match referee. Play begins at 9:30 AM local time (1:00 PM IST), and Australia won the toss and chose to bat first.
This is Australia’s first Test series in South Africa since the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal, and the first time the two sides meet in Tests since South Africa beat Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s. The two teams also go into the series ranked first and second on the WTC table.
SA vs AUS 1st Test 2026: Match Details
| Match | South Africa vs Australia, 1st Test |
| Series | Australia tour of South Africa, 2026 |
| Dates | October 9 to 13, 2026 |
| Start time | 9:30 AM local / 7:30 AM GMT / 1:00 PM IST |
| Venue | Kingsmead, Durban |
| Toss | Australia won the toss and chose to bat |
| South Africa captain | Temba Bavuma |
| Australia captain | Pat Cummins |
SA vs AUS 1st Test: List of Umpires and Match Referee
| Role | Official |
|---|---|
| On-field umpire | Chris Gaffaney |
| On-field umpire | Richard Kettleborough |
| Third umpire | Richard Illingworth |
| Match referee | Javagal Srinath |
Chris Gaffaney
A former first-class cricketer from New Zealand, Gaffaney is a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires and has stood in Tests, ODIs and T20Is around the world, including ICC events.
Richard Kettleborough
England’s Richard Kettleborough is one of the most experienced umpires in world cricket. A member of the ICC Elite Panel, he has won the ICC Umpire of the Year award three times and has stood in more than one Cricket World Cup final.
Richard Illingworth
The former England spinner is also on the ICC Elite Panel and has won the ICC Umpire of the Year award more than once. He will handle DRS reviews, run-outs and stumpings from the third umpire’s room.
Javagal Srinath
One of India’s finest fast bowlers, Srinath took over 230 Test wickets in his playing days. He is now one of the most experienced match referees on the ICC Elite Panel.
SA vs AUS 1st Test: List of Commentators
SuperSport, the host broadcaster, has named a strong panel of former South African players, with Simon Katich adding an Australian voice. The panel below was announced for the ODI series and is expected to continue for the Tests.
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| Commentator | Country |
|---|---|
| Shaun Pollock | South Africa |
| Makhaya Ntini | South Africa |
| Hashim Amla | South Africa |
| Vernon Philander | South Africa |
| Fanie de Villiers | South Africa |
| Chris Morris | South Africa |
| Monde Zondeki | South Africa |
| Mfuneko Ngam | South Africa |
| Victor Mpitsang | South Africa |
| Jon Kent | South Africa |
| Simon Katich | Australia |
| Ed Rainsford | Zimbabwe |
Presenters: Natalie Germanos, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Philasande Sixaba and Lesego Pooe.
ABC Radio Commentary (Australia)
ABC Sport’s audio coverage features Corbin Middlemas, Ben Cameron, Neil Manthorp, Jason Gillespie, Phil Jaques and Shaun Pollock.
SA vs AUS Test Series Live Telecast and Streaming
| Country | TV Channel | Live Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| India | Eurosport | FanCode |
| South Africa | SuperSport, SABC 3 | DStv app |
| Australia | Fox Cricket | Kayo Sports |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports Cricket | Sky Go |
| USA and Canada | Willow TV | Willow |
Sandpapergate: Why This Series Is Special
The last time Australia played a Test series in South Africa, in 2018, it ended in one of the biggest scandals in cricket history. During the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town, SuperSport’s cameras caught Cameron Bancroft using a small piece of sandpaper to rough up the ball.
Steve Smith lost the captaincy, and he and vice-captain David Warner were banned from international cricket for 12 months, while Bancroft was banned for nine months. All three were sent home before the final Test in Johannesburg. Australia lost the third Test by 322 runs and the fourth by 492 runs.
Australia were due to tour South Africa again in 2021, but that tour was called off during the Covid pandemic. That makes this the first Test series between the two sides in South Africa in more than eight years.
SuperSport Trolls Australia: “Our Cameras Will Be Sharp”
South Africa have not let the moment pass quietly. Two days before the first Test, SuperSport, the same broadcaster whose cameras exposed the ball-tampering in 2018, posted a short promo on X saying its cameras would be “sharp” for the series, along with a camera emoji and the first Test’s start time.
The post did not mention sandpaper, Newlands or any player by name, but every cricket fan understood the joke straight away. Steve Smith, now Australia’s vice-captain, is the only one of the three players from 2018 in the current squad, and South African crowds are expected to have a little fun at his expense through the series.
SA vs AUS Squads
South Africa Squad
Playing XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje
Bench: Dane Paterson, Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Senuran Muthusamy, Marques Ackerman
Australia Squad
Playing XI: Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Bench: Michael Neser, Scott Boland, Josh Inglis, Sam Harper, Cameron Green, Matthew Kuhnemann, Cooper Connolly
Support staff: Andrew McDonald, Andre Borovec, Daniel Vettori, Michael Di Venuto, Adam Griffith
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Kingsmead, Durban: Venue Guide
| Stadium | Kingsmead |
| City | Durban, South Africa |
| Capacity | 25,000 |
| Ends | Umgeni End, Old Fort End |
| Home team | KwaZulu-Natal |
SA vs AUS Test Series 2026 Schedule
| Match | Dates | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | October 9 to 13 | Kingsmead, Durban | 1:00 PM |
| 2nd Test | October 18 to 22 | St George’s Park, Gqeberha | 1:30 PM |
| 3rd Test | October 27 to 31 | Newlands, Cape Town | 2:00 PM |
South Africa also won the three-match ODI series 2-1 earlier on this tour, so they go into the Tests with momentum, while Australia will want to make a statement on their return to South African Test cricket. The final Test at Newlands, the ground where Sandpapergate unfolded, is already the most talked-about game of the series.
