Former Australian cricketer Adam Voges is tipping Josh Inglis for the No. 4 spot in Australia’s top order for the first Test in the Caribbean. As the coach of Western Australia, he believes Inglis can handle the pressure at Test level even though he hasn’t had much experience batting that high up in the order.
Inglis is confirmed to play in the opening Test against the West Indies in Barbados next Wednesday. This comes after Cricket Australia made headlines by announcing Marnus Labuschagne wouldn’t be playing just five days before the game and Steven Smith would miss out due to injury.
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Inglis will join Sam Konstas who will fill the gaps. The final lineup and batting order hasn’t been decided yet but it looks like Konstas will open with Usman Khawaja. The selectors are trying to settle on an opening pair for this series and the Ashes after trying five different combinations in the last 12 Tests.
Smith is expected to come back for the second Test in Grenada so Cameron Green will likely stay at No. 3 even though he struggled a bit in the World Test Championship final. That could mean Inglis takes the No. 4 spot to keep things steady when Smith is back and Travis Head will be at No. 5.
Voges said of Inglis: “Being a keeper usually puts you lower down the order. We did test Josh higher up a while ago at three and as the keeper which is tough. But we thought he had the technique to do it and without the gloves I think he can manage that role. These three Tests are a good chance for him and others to show what they can do.
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”At 30 Inglis is going well in all formats this year. He scored a century on his Test debut in Sri Lanka batting at No. 5 which was his first hundred in that position in first-class cricket—before that he had one fifty in five innings at No. 5. His experience at No. 3 and No. 4 is limited with an average of 12.66 from six innings at No. 3 in 2019 and one appearance at No. 4 where he scored 44 in 2015. His best spot seems to be at No. 6 where he averages over 50 and has four first-class hundreds as WA’s keeper.
