In red-hot form, Australian white-ball wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is “in the mix” to make his Test debut as a specialist batter in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy next month, hinted chief selector George Bailey on Monday. India, unbeaten in the marquee series on the previous four occasions, will face Australia in a five-Test series beginning in Perth on November 21. “There’s no doubt that the form is really fantastic at the moment… the ability to jump back into domestic cricket and dominate has been fantastic,” Bailey told reporters.
“I think in different series at different times of the year, he would firmly come into the mix purely as a batter the way he’s been going.” “If the right opportunity opened up throughout the summer, in the spots where we think he’s most capable of performing, I think he’d be firmly in that conversation as well.” The 29-year-old, who is Australia’s incumbent keeper in ODI and T20Is, has scored four centuries in last seven Sheffield Shield matches.
But with Australian Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey in rich form, Inglis has emerged as a specialist middle-order batter, but not for the vacant opening slot, Bailey said.
Australia’s move to promote Steve Smith at the top following David Warner’s retirement did not work out and with Cameron Green ruled out of the India series because of a back injury, there’s a vacancy alongside Usman Khawaja.
However, Bailey has ruled out Inglis for the opener’s role.
“I’ve spoken to Josh on this. Not in the short term, I don’t think that he’s someone that we would be looking to place at the top of the order,” Bailey said.
Inglis, in fact, is one of the contenders to lead Australia’s T20I side in the upcoming three-match series against Pakistan.
All-format players, including regular T20 skipper Mitchell Marsh, are sitting out of the Pakistan series to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“We’ve been really clear that we are prioritising the preparation for individuals around the Test summer and that will be the first time that we get that group together,” said Bailey.
“So, rather than switching guys in and out and becoming quite messy, it was just deemed more appropriate for a number of reasons to separate them out.” This will be Australia’s first Test series in the ongoing WTC cycle since defeating New Zealand 2-0 in a two-match away series in March.
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