Josh Inglis not to bat as opener against India, says Australia’s chief selector

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Australia have been in search for a permanent opening partner of Usman Khawaja since the retirement of David Warner

Australia’s Josh Inglis plays a shot to be caught out for eith runs during the fourth One Day International (ODI) cricket match between England and Australia at Lord’s in London on September 27, 2024. Photo: AFP

New Delhi: Australia have no plans to ask Josh Inglis to open their innings against India in the upcoming five-match Test series tha begins on November 22 for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, chief selector George Bailey said.

The 29-year-old has produced impressive performances in Australia’s domestic cricket, hitting four hundreds in seven outings. Australia have been in search for a permanent opener to partner Usman Khawaja since the retirement of David Warner.

They have tried regular No.4 batter Steve Smith up top with not much success, leading to calls for Inglis to be given a go. But Bailey poured cold water on those thoughts, saying that the selection committee leaded by him doesn’t view Inglis as an opening candidate.

The selectors rather view him as a middle-order batter, which Australia have in abundance.

“Not in the short-term. I don’t think that he’s someone we would be looking to place at the top of the order,” Bailey said on Monday.

“There’s no doubt that his form is really fantastic at the moment, and the ability to jump back into domestic cricket and dominate has been fantastic.”

However, Bailey didn’t rule out the use of Inglis as opener in the future but in the upcoming high-profile series against India he won’t be rushed.

“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,” Bailey added.

With Inglis not in the reckoning, eyes would be on Sam Konstas, Marcus Harris, and Cameron Bancroft who all would present their cases in upcoming Australia A matches where consistency could be the key determinant.

“We’ve got three players who open the batting for their state and one player who bats at three,” Bailey said.

“We’re looking for performance. The standard of cricket is pretty high, so that’s always a great opportunity seeing how players interact in a different team to what they’re used to.”

A journalist for 15 years, who keeps his eyes peeled on sporting events with a particular focus on football. Has worked at some of the most respected Indian media organisations including The Statesman, The Asian Age, IANS and Sports Illustrated. Ventured into books with ‘Box to box: 75 years of the Indian football team’, which he co-wrote and edited.

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