Australia’s white-ball wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is in remarkable form, and chief selector George Bailey hinted at the prospect of him making his Test debut purely as a specialist batter in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India, unbeaten in this historic series over the past four meetings, will face Australia in a five-match Test showdown starting November 21 in Perth.

“There’s no doubt his form is fantastic right now… the way he has returned to domestic cricket and dominated has been remarkable,” George Bailey noted in a recent statement.

George Bailey emphasized that while Inglis is Australia’s current wicketkeeper in ODIs and T20Is, his recent performances make him a strong candidate to contribute as a specialist middle-order batter in Tests. However, he clarified that Inglis isn’t being considered for the opening spot alongside Usman Khawaja, a position left vacant by David Warner’s retirement.

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“We’re not looking at him to fill the opener’s role,” George Bailey confirmed, ruling out Inglis as a top-order replacement. The move to push Steve Smith up the order following Warner’s exit didn’t pan out as expected, and with all-rounder Cameron Green sidelined due to a back injury, the need for a reliable middle-order presence has intensified.

Josh Inglis has displayed consistency in the Sheffield Shield, racking up four centuries in his last seven matches, strengthening his case as a middle-order option. In addition to his Test aspirations, Inglis is also in contention to lead Australia’s T20I squad in the upcoming three-match series against Pakistan. Australia’s selectors opted to rest all-format players, including regular T20I captain Mitchell Marsh, to ensure they’re fully prepared for the demanding Border-Gavaskar series.

“We’re prioritizing preparation for the Test summer, giving players dedicated time to focus on the series against India,” George Bailey explained, noting the importance of a consistent approach to lineup selection.

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Australia enters this Test series against India as their first encounter in the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle after a 2-0 away victory over New Zealand in March. With Inglis in strong form and the Australian squad reshuffled to ensure readiness, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy promises a highly competitive face-off as Australia looks to reclaim dominance in the series.