Ashes: Josh Inglis ready to take Tim Paine’s place in Australian team

Alex Carey made a one-day hundred as Josh Inglis trained in rain-soaked Queensland, and only one will play for Australia in the opening Ashes Test.

Josh Inglis could play in the opening Ashes Test for Australia. Picture: Tony Marshall/Getty Images

Josh Inglis has been preparing to play for Australia since he joined the squad at the T20 World Cup and says his mindset doesn’t change now he could be on the verge of his Test debut.

The West Australian gloveman is locked in a two-man race with Alex Carey to take the place of wicketkeeper and former captain Tim Paine for the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba next week.

A decision is expected in the next couple of days, and while Carey blasted a one-day century for South Australia on Sunday, Inglis has been limited to just training in soggy Queensland.

More rain is also expected to wipe out what loomed as a final battle for the Test place in a three-day intra-squad clash, and Inglis said he hadn’t been given any indication which way selectors might go.

“I don’t know when they are going to make their decision. I’ll find out and then get my head around where I’m going to be playing,” Inglis said on Monday.

“The whole time I had the mindset of preparing to play just in case, that’s the same here. It’s either the Test match or the Aussie A game, so I have cricket I need to prepare for. That’s my mindset at training and how its been for a while.

“I feel in a really good place with my game at the moment and if given the opportunity I feel really confident.”

Josh Inglis is confident his game is up to Test level. Picture: AAP Image for Cricket Australia/Gary Day

Inglis, who was born in Leeds, has stormed his way into national contention on the back of a huge last summer that included three Sheffield Shield centuries for WA and a season average of 73.12

The 26-year-old reaped the rewards of working with a sports psychologist after wanting to find the best way to face more balls, to bat for longer and get the most out of himself.

He said it was a new-found method he could draw on should he be picked despite not having played a game of cricket since September.

“That’s the beauty of it, I can replicate what I am doing in training and in games. It’s not something that just comes out during a game,” he said.

“I was getting a lot of starts and not going on. I went 25 Shield games without making a hundred. I went to Matt Burgan our psych and spoke in depth about that and it was brilliant. It changed my game and allowed me to build a couple of big innings.

“I am trying to use it every time I pick up a bat to help myself. It’s before the ball is bowled, when it’s bowled and then after it. It’s making sure I am replicating it as much as possible.

“I haven’t played much cricket but I played a Shield game before I came to Queensland (for scores of 28 and 13) and I’ve faced plenty of red balls, so I am ready to go.”

Inglis has been a star for the Perth Scorchers. Picture: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images

Inglis has a career first-class average of 34.03 in 45 matches that puts him neck and neck with Carey, who averages 34.73. Before Carey’s one-day century he made scores of 0, 7 and 6 in the Shield for SA.

“It’s quite crazy to think how far I have come in a short space of time but it’s really exciting,” Inglis said.

“I feel like if I was given the opportunity I’d do a good job.”

Inglis, who grew up in England and moved to Australia when he was 14, said there would be some “banter over the dinner table” with his parents should he be picked to play.

But there were no divided loyalties anymore.

“Growing up in England I supported England, but that’s all changed now,” he said.

“Once you start building your way up in to professional cricket, it’s tough to be trying to play for one country and not supporting them.

“So that changes pretty quickly.”