Ricky Ponting makes call on Josh Inglis amid pressure on Alex Carey's Test cricket spot

Ricky Ponting believes Australian wicket-keeper Josh Inglis is knocking down the door for Test selection after a dominant performance for Western Australia in their Sheffield Shield win over Queensland. Inglis has been in fine form this summer and after some stellar ODI and T20 performances for Australia, Ponting believes he has put forward a strong case to replace Alex Carey in Test cricket as well.

In his first game in the Shield for almost 12 months, Inglis received Player of the Match honours after scoring 47 and 136 not out in Western Australia's 146-run win. Inglis' red-ball audition came as Carey failed to fire for Australia against New Zealand, with scores of just 10 and 3.

While Ponting admits Inglis' performances warrant consideration, he believes things would have to go seriously wrong for Carey's spot in the Test side to be taken before the 2024/25 home summer, where Australia will host India in a five-Test series. "He (Inglis) made a brilliant hundred in this last Shield game for WA, you know, he's not put a foot wrong in the coloured clothing for Australia, whether it's in T20 cricket or One Day International cricket. His keeping his elite," Ponting told SEN.

"I'm sure Alex would like to be contributing more with the bat, and he's got the game to do it," Ponting said "His keeping has also been absolutely outstanding for Australia ever since he put the gloves on. So, I think things have to go really pear-shaped for Alex Carey over the next little bit for him not to be around at the start of the Australian summer."

Pat Cummins backs Marnus Labuschagne to return to form

Marnus Labuschagne's run of bad form continued against the Black Caps, with the No.3 dismissed for one off 27 balls and one off 16. The Aussie batsman's place in the Test side has come under fire this summer after only making one century in his last 37 Test innings and has only passed 50 on six occasions during that time.

Following the first Test against New Zealand, questions were once again being asked about Labuschagne's place in the team but captain Pat Cummins was quick to dismiss that his Test spot was under threat. "I think he'd be the first to admit he'd like to score some more runs," Cummins said.

"We're very clear that these six guys are the six best batters in Australia. At times it might not have clicked all together at once but the story of our team has been someone's been able to stand up when they need to. So everyone's going well."

Australia as a batting unit has been well off their best, having only surpassed 300 on six occasions this summer. While someone in the top six has continuously stepped up as required, the batting line-up as a whole hasn't fired. Coach Andrew McDonald has also defended Labuschagne's form slump claiming: "There's going to be some ebbs and flows in your career".

"It was only two runs so I don't want to get carried away ... but that's what we see when he's at his best," he added. New Zealand has only won one of its last 32 Test Matches against Australia and will be looking to improve on that record come Friday.

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