Australia skipper Aaron Finch on Thursday confirmed that Josh Inglis will make his debut in the upcoming first T20I of the five-match series against Sri Lanka. Australia and Sri Lanka will square off in the first T20I on Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Finch also confirmed that Inglis will be batting at No.3 for Australia in the first T20I.
Inglish will replace Mitchell Marsh in the lineup while Ben McDermott will open the batting in place of David Warner and these two are the only changes from the Australia side that won the T20 World Cup final last year, reported cricket.com.au.
Marsh and Warner have been rested from the series against Sri Lanka and Travis Head is unavailable for the first three games as he will be playing Sheffield Shield for South Australia.
“Ben McDermott has been in unbelievable nick so to get him at the top of the order was really crucial for us. And Josh Inglis has been someone who has been shuffled around the order a little bit. His selection is a sign of how well he’s played over the last couple of years, but also how great he was around the group at the T20 World Cup,” cricket.com.au quoted Finch as saying.
“He hasn’t got the runs he would have liked throughout the Big Bash as he has done in the past. But he was playing slightly different roles. So it’s a great opportunity for him,” he added.
Australia playing XI for 1st T20I: Ben McDermott, Aaron Finch (c), Josh Inglis, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
