Inglis patient: WA star still waiting to see where he'll bat

Perth Now

4 hours ago

Josh Inglis still doesn't know where he is batting in the opening Test against West Indies, with Australia poised to wait on one final look at the Barbados wicket before making a call on their order.
On the eve of the opening match of the series, the recalled Inglis indicated he is likely to bat somewhere between three and five.
But Australia has not locked down its batting order, with Travis Head opening the batting a live possibility in the opening Test from Wednesday night (AWST).
Selectors confirmed last week in a rare move that Inglis and teen sensation Sam Konstas will return to the side that lost the World Test Championship earlier this month.
Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped, while Steve Smith will miss with a finger injury.
Labuschagne opened in the Test against South Africa, while Cam Green struggled at No.3 and Smith batted at four. It means all of those middle-order spots are up in the air.
Inglis said he wasn't fussed about where he batted after earning a recall for just the third Test of his career.
'Not too sure yet, I think we will work through that... and find out,' Inglis said. Josh Inglis will be looking for a repeat of his success from Australia's Sri Lanka tour earlier this year. Credit: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images
'I'm very happy to be back in the side, so as I said we will work through it and I will prep accordingly.'
Inglis' versatility means he could fill any of those roles in the order and could serve as the middle-order aggressor if Head is elevated to open again.
While Konstas is expected to open with Usman Khawaja, Head has been used in recent tours where conditions best suit spin bowling, to make good use of the hard new ball and pace bowlers.
'I think it's just because I have done it, I feel comfortable going into different positions,' Inglis said.
'I've obviously batted at the top in white-ball cricket and in the middle, so I've become accustomed to moving around a fair bit and it is something I sort of pride myself on.'
Barbados is traditionally the most seamer-friendly of the Caribbean tracks, but Inglis predicted it will take spin later on.
'I'm not really sure what we're going to get,' he said.
'A lot of the cricket here has been quite slow, attritional cricket and the ball might spin towards the back-end of the game.
'I guess we have just got to see, adjust and communicate on the go.' Josh Inglis will be one of two inclusions for Australia. Credit: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images
Inglis had long been the second wicketkeeper in line behind Alex Carey before forcing his way into the side for January's tour of Sri Lanka after emerging as one of the country's top players of spin bowling.
He scored a century on debut in Galle, but didn't make the side that played South Africa at Lord's. He said he accepts Australia effectively has two different teams, one each for spin and seam-friendly conditions.
'I took a lot of confidence from it, obviously debut Test match, it's nice to go out there and get a hundred, but it's only one game so I have got to start again from here,' Inglis said.
'It was very conditions based (being dropped). We have seen that with this side we have almost got two separate sides for playing in the sub-continent and playing at home.'
Australia is likely to take three quicks and Nathan Lyon into the match, although left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann did impress in Sri Lanka earlier this year and could be involved later in the series.
Smith will also push to return after the opening Test from the gruesome finger injury he suffered at Lord's.