West Indies vs Australia: Josh Inglis ready for anything in reshuffled Test batting line-up

Josh Inglis is uncertain the place he’ll bat within the new-look Australian line-up because the vanquished Check champions put together to play within the West Indies for the primary time in a decade.

After scoring a century on debut in Sri Lanka earlier this yr, Inglis made means for the World Check Championship ultimate at Lord’s.

However after Marnus Labuschagne’s long-term struggles continued and Steve Smith suffered a nasty dislocated finger within the shock defeat to South Africa, Australia opted to carry Inglis and teenage tyro Sam Konstas in for the primary Check in Barbados.

In his two Exams in Galle, Inglis batted at quantity 5 as Travis Head pushed as much as open, as he typically has in Asia.

However with Konstas nearly sure to associate veteran opener Usman Khawaja in going through the brand new ball, Inglis might be requested to bat at quantity three.

That will permit Cameron Inexperienced to shift to quantity 4, now vacant as a consequence of Smith’s harm.

In his first Check for greater than a yr within the World Check Championship ultimate, Inexperienced struggled at quantity three with scores of 4 and 0 in his return from again surgical procedure.

Inglis mentioned he’s unfazed the place he bats, having always moved round within the first-class cricket for Western Australia and in worldwide white-ball video games.

“I feel it is simply because I’ve completed it, I really feel comfy going into totally different positions,” Inglis informed reporters at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval.

“I’ve batted on the high in white-ball cricket and within the center, so I’ve grow to be accustomed to transferring round a good bit, and [it’s] one thing I pleasure myself on.

“With Smudge [Smith] getting injured, there was a chance for another person to return in.

“I took a variety of confidence from [from Sri Lanka]; my debut Check match, it was good to go on the market and get 100.”

Out of the blue, an inexperienced Check line-up

Incumbent wicketkeeper Alex Carey will retain the gloves, that means Inglis will seemingly be within the slip cordon between giants Inexperienced and Beau Webster.

“It is in all probability like a bail in between two stumps with me in between these two, so it ought to be good viewing on digital camera,” he mentioned.

However the 30-year-old mentioned he prided himself on fielding properly, having solely taken up wicketkeeping full-time when he was 14 years previous.

Coach Andrew McDonald and captain Pat Cummins have been open about this sequence being a “reset” for the group.

They have been unable to defend the Check title they gained in 2023, however the first Check, beginning Thursday midnight AEST, will get the brand new WTC cycle underway and presents the Check group’s final hit-out earlier than this summer time’s Ashes.

Australia convincingly gained each matches of the two-Check tour of the West Indies again in 2015.

Star bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon featured within the Caribbean a decade in the past, however the different eight members of the XI have by no means performed a Check within the area.

Australia’s batting order all of a sudden appears very inexperienced, with Konstas and Inglis having solely performed two Exams every, whereas all-rounder Beau Webster is making ready for his fifth.

Windies tempo sensation Shamar Joseph will probably be hoping that arising towards Australia will once more carry out his greatest.

Joseph, in simply his second Check, famously bowled the touring Windies to a well-known and unlikely win over Australia on the Gabba the final time the groups performed a Check, in January 2024.

AAP