Inglis Set to Feature in Australia’s Top Order for Caribbean Test
Josh Inglis is expected to bat at No.4 in Australia’s reshuffled batting lineup for the first Test against West Indies in Barbados next week. His WA coach, Adam Voges, expressed strong confidence in Inglis’s ability to succeed in this crucial position despite limited first-class experience at No.4.
Inglis was confirmed as a certain starter following Cricket Australia’s surprising decision to drop Marnus Labuschagne just days before the match, while also confirming Steven Smith’s absence due to injury. Inglis and Sam Konstas were named as replacements, with Konstas likely to open alongside Usman Khawaja.
“𝑱𝒐𝒔𝒉 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓,” 𝑽𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝑩𝑳 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝑴𝒆𝒍𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆. “𝑾𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆. 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍.”
Balancing the Batting Lineup with Smith’s Return in Mind
With Smith expected to return for the second Test in Grenada, Cameron Green is likely to stay at No.3 despite some disappointing scores in the recent World Test Championship final. Inglis’s move to No.4 is seen as a way to maintain stability in the lineup, with Travis Head likely to remain at his preferred No.5 spot.
Inglis, 30, has impressed across all formats this year, including scoring a century on Test debut in Sri Lanka while batting at No.5. However, his first-class experience at No.3 and No.4 remains limited, with his best position historically being No.6, where he boasts a strong average and multiple centuries.
Voges Urges Patience with Cameron Green’s Return
Voges also voiced support for Cameron Green, urging patience as he continues his recovery from back surgery. Green has only recently returned to batting duties and remains unavailable to bowl, with plans to resume bowling in Sheffield Shield cricket later in the year.
“𝑾𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔,” 𝑽𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅. “𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒚. 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌.”
Green’s bowling remains on hold, meaning Beau Webster will continue as Australia’s allrounder in the Caribbean. Webster has shown promise with the bat but has been less effective with the ball in Tests so far. How he will be utilized on likely slow pitches remains to be seen.
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