Australia’s legendary wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist is backing Josh Inglis to come back into form in the ongoing Men’s ODI World Cup in India after making just 3 and 0 in his last two knocks of the competition.
Inglis came into the playing eleven after replacing Alex Carey post Australia’s opening game loss to India in Chennai. Though he made a vital 58 in the win against Sri Lanka, Inglis, 28, is yet to play a note-worthy knock in the tournament, averaging just 18.71 so far.
“It’d be a big call to go back the other way, wouldn’t it? It was a big call to drop Carey after one game. Without being inside the tent and knowing what the line of thinking and is how Josh is thinking … I’ll back him in to get some important runs at the right time.”’
“We’ve seen him do it for the Scorchers and for WA on reasonably regular occasions. I think you’d have to sort of go with him,” said Gilchrist on SEN Radio.
Gilchrist also sees Inglis move from number five to number six or seven, especially on the account of Steve Smith returning to the line-up post missing the match against Afghanistan due to fitness issues.
“Maybe he slots down a spot in the batting line up, maybe he doesn’t come in at five. Steve Smith’s got to come back in there, so that might naturally push him down as well. We’ll wait and see.”
“But I think it’d be a big call now to suddenly throw ‘Kez’ (Carey) back in there. I don’t think either way we lose too much with whoever’s playing. He (Inglis) just missed out and nicked one.”
After Australia with their miraculous three-wicket win over Afghanistan, the five-time champions will hope to sign off from the league stage with a win when they face Bangladesh at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Saturday.
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