Inglis's Return Could Shake Up Australia's Test Plans

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-10-11

Australia's Test squad is getting a boost with the return of Josh Inglis, who's been sidelined with a fractured finger. The wicketkeeper-batter is set to rejoin the team in Gqeberha, and his comeback could be just what the doctor ordered for an Australian side looking to level the series against South Africa. ### Injury Update and Recovery Progress Inglis broke his finger during the first ODI in Durban and flew back to Australia for assessment. He dodged surgery, which kept his tour hopes alive. A recent scan showed encouraging progress, clearing the way for him to link up with the squad again. But will he be fit for the second Test? Australia hasn't confirmed yet, but having him around means the team management can keep a close eye on his condition. ### How Australia Covered for Inglis in Durban With Inglis out, Australia had to fill two spots for the opening Test. He offers both wicketkeeping and batting cover, even though he's played all five of his Tests as a specialist batter. Sam Harper came in from the Australia A tour of India to take the back-up gloves role, and Nic Maddinson got a surprise recall. Head coach Andrew McDonald explained the selectors' thinking: "It really turned into two players replacing Josh Inglis." He added that Inglis's flexibility led to Harper being picked as the reserve keeper, which in turn led to the call for Maddinson. ### Batting Order Shuffle and Cameron Green's Concern The injuries forced Australia to rework their batting order for the first Test. Maddinson opened the innings in his first first-class match since March 2025. He fell for a duck off 33 balls on the opening day, the longest by an Australian opener in Tests. Matt Renshaw moved down to No. 5 and made a bigger impact, steadying the innings after Australia slipped to 84 for 4 and later 124 for 6. Cameron Green has added to the selection questions. He sustained an abdominal injury in the final ODI in Potchefstroom and missed the Durban Test. Uncertainty remains over his availability for the second match, and McDonald said Green is unlikely to bowl as an allrounder at any stage of the series. ### What Inglis's Return Means for the Series Australia now have more options as the series moves to Gqeberha. Inglis could return to the middle order, while Harper stays on as the second wicketkeeping option. The final combination will depend on how Inglis responds in training and on the fitness reports for Green. South Africa lead the series after the first Test in Durban, and Australia need to settle their batting line-up quickly to stay in contention. The team management will announce its playing XI closer to the start of the second Test. For more cricket news and updates, follow JeetWin Blog!