George Bailey reveals what got Josh Inglis into the Test setup

On November 10, Australia announced their squad for the Perth Test against India, and it included Josh Inglis, the Western Australia keeper who has been tearing Sheffield Shield apart. While this came as a surprise for many, those who closely followed Shield cricket would know of Inglis’ capabilities. 

Since 2020-21, Inglis has the second-best average (57.83) in Shield cricket, only behind Cameron Green. What sets Inglis apart, though, is his ability to put the pressure back on the opposition, as reflected in his strike rate of 78.8, only behind New South Wales’ Ollie Davies (79.7). 

"If you look back at the last couple of years, when he has come back to Shield cricket, it's quite often on the back of (a lot of) white-ball (cricket)," Australia's chief selector George Bailey told Cricket.com.au. 

"He hasn't had long bursts of Shield cricket. So I think his ability to bounce in and out of formats has been really impressive. Love his ability to put pressure back onto the opposition at the right times and drive the game forward," Bailey said.

While Inglis was named as Australia’s captain for the third ODI and the T20I series, he revealed that his mind did go to the Test series. The right-hander has scored 1388 runs in Shield cricket since 2020-21, with 563 of those runs coming in 2024, where he averages 70.38 and strikes at 73.1. 

"I was thinking about this week more with the captaincy and not thinking too far ahead with Test stuff but I was really excited when Ronnie (men's team coach Andrew McDonald) called me and let me know," Inglis said after the third ODI. 

Inglis has also made a strong start to the ongoing season, with 297 runs in two games and a strike rate of 84.9, including 122 against Queensland and 101 against Tasmania. 

"I'm just pumped to be there, to be honest. I'm really enjoying my red-ball cricket this year and I feel like I'm playing well in that form of the game."

Bailey, though, clearly indicated that Inglis’ selection won’t come at the cost of selecting one between him and Alex Carey for the wicketkeeper spot. 

"I certainly think he has a game that, at different times, could (be suited) in Asia.

"Clearly, this is just a batting position, there's no pressure on Kez (Carey). Kez has been in wonderful form too (but) if Josh gets an opportunity, really excited to see how he goes."

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