--- title: "Australia to play first Test in South Africa since Sandpapergate scandal" description: "Most outlets led with the fact that Australia is set to play its first Test in South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, noting the historical context and the significance of the series. A few also mentioned the current status of both teams, such as South Africa being world Test champions and Australia being current championship leaders. The framing was largely consistent, with slight variations in emphasis on team standings and the likelihood of public reaction." url: https://harzaviya.com/stories/12875-australia-prepare-for-first-south-africa-test-since site: HarZaviya language: en --- # Australia to play first Test in South Africa since Sandpapergate scandal sports · updated 8 Oct 2026, 9:54 AM PKT · 7–8 Oct 2026 · 5 articles from 5 outlets **HarZaviya summary** — how 5 outlets covered this, generated automatically from their headlines and excerpts: > Most outlets led with the fact that Australia is set to play its first Test in South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, noting the historical context and the significance of the series. A few also mentioned the current status of both teams, such as South Africa being world Test champions and Australia being current championship leaders. The framing was largely consistent, with slight variations in emphasis on team standings and the likelihood of public reaction. ## Same story from 5 outlets Each outlet's own headline, most recent first — read any at its source. - **24 News HD** — [South Africa host Australia for first time in Tests since sandpaper scandal](https://www.24newshd.tv/08-Oct-2026/south-africa-host-australia-first-time-tests-since-sandpaper-scandal) · 8 Oct 2026, 9:54 AM PKT > World Test champions South Africa meet current championship leaders Australia in Durban on Friday at the start of the first Test series between the two countries in South Africa since the controversial ‘Sandpapergate’ tour of 2017/18. - **Hum News English** — [Australia prepare for first test in South Africa since ‘Sandpapergate’](https://humenglish.com/latest/australia-prepare-for-first-test-in-south-africa-since-sandpapergate/) · 7 Oct 2026, 10:15 PM PKT · 89% identical wording to the newest filing > DURBAN: Australia play their first test in South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal when they start a three-match series in Durban on Friday, with the visitors unlikely to face more than a few heckles over the incident that rocked the sport eight years ago. The tourists’ efforts to roughen up the ball using sandpaper, and aid reverse swing, in Cape Town in March 2018 were caught on ca... - **ARY News (English)** — [Australia prepare for first South Africa Test since ‘Sandpapergate’](https://arynews.tv/australia-prepare-for-first-south-africa-test-since-sandpapergate) · 7 Oct 2026, 4:47 PM PKT · 84% identical wording to the newest filing > South Africa have played Tests in Australia since ‘Sandpapergate’, and Australia have toured South Africa in the interim for... - **Dawn** — [Cricket-Australia prepare for first test in South Africa since'Sandpapergate'](https://www.dawn.com/news/2035385/cricket-australia-prepare-for-first-test-in-south-africa-sincesandpapergate) · 7 Oct 2026, 2:02 PM PKT · 87% identical wording to the newest filing > Australia play their first test in South Africa since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal when they start a three-match series in Durban on Friday, with the visitors unlikely to face more than a few heckles over the incident that rocked the sport eight years ago. The tourists efforts to roughen up the ball using sandpaper, and aid reverse swing, in Cape Town in March 2018 were caught on camera and ... - **The Express Tribune** — [Australia prepare for first South Africa Test](https://tribune.com.pk/story/2633512/australia-prepare-for-first-south-africa-test) · 7 Oct 2026, 1:56 PM PKT · 85% identical wording to the newest filing > This is the first Test on African soil between both sides since the ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal ## Part of a bigger story Other stories whose coverage resembles this one, nearest first. "% related" compares whole stories, not single articles — see [what the percentages mean](https://harzaviya.com/methodology). - [South Africa spinner expects less animosity in T20 series against Australia](https://harzaviya.com/stories/13034-t20-ties-have-softened-on-field-rivalries-says-harmer) · 9 Oct 2026 · 3 outlets · 2 developments · 76% related - [Steve Smith says 2018 Sandpapergate scandal still affects him ahead of South Africa Tests](https://harzaviya.com/stories/8938-steve-smith-haunted-by-sandpapergate-ahead-of-south-africa) · 17 Sep 2026 · 6 outlets · 73% related 5 articles from 5 outlets, 7–8 Oct 2026. Headlines and links belong to their outlets — HarZaviya links out and never copies article text. --- HarZaviya compares how Pakistani outlets cover the same story. It stores and shows each outlet's headline and a short excerpt, and links out — it never copies article text, and every headline belongs to the outlet that wrote it. It takes no stance on any outlet. 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