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Australia National Cricket Team head coach Andrew McDonald has eased concerns over Josh Inglis' fitness ahead of the opening Test against Bangladesh. He has confirmed that the wicketkeeper-batter remains on track to feature despite suffering a back issue during the team's preparations in Brisbane.
Speaking after Australia's intra-squad match, Andrew McDonald revealed that Josh Inglis experienced a recurrence of back spasms but stressed that the injury is not expected to affect his availability for the first Test in Darwin.
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Andrew McDonald provides Josh Inglis injury update ahead of first Bangladesh Test
Josh Inglis was forced to cut short his participation in Australia's intra-squad fixture after experiencing a flare-up in his back, raising concerns over his fitness just days before the opening Test against Bangladesh.
However, Andrew McDonald made it clear that the team management is not worried about Josh Inglis' condition. The Australia coach explained that Josh Inglis has dealt with similar issues in the past and the medical staff will take a cautious approach to ensure he returns fully fit rather than rushing him back into training.
"He's had a back flare up. He has had these from time to time. There'll be no issue, it'll just be letting it settle down and then getting him back into work," he said, as quoted by Cricket.com.au.
Andrew McDonald also confirmed that Australia have enough time before the opening Test and there is no doubt over Josh Inglis' availability. He stated:
"We've got enough time. We'll probably be conservative on that, make sure that's right before you see him return into the nets and the preparation phase … there is no concern around whether he would be available or not."
We've had two decent hit-outs - Andrew McDonald
Andrew McDonald was pleased with Australia's preparation camp, saying the squad has benefited from several weeks of structured training and match simulations ahead of the Bangladesh series.
The coach explained that the intra-squad fixtures were designed to recreate the intensity of Test cricket, allowing players to gradually build rhythm before the international assignment. He said:
"We've had two decent hit-outs, 60 overs a day, everyone's been able to meet the demands."
According to McDonald, the practice games closely resembled competitive matches and helped the players transition smoothly from training sessions to match situations.
"We've been able to create a connection from training, build up that intensity with the match simulation, it almost took on the shape of a fully-fledged game, which was nice."
He added that the players are eager to return to Test cricket and will complete the final phase of preparation over the next couple of days.
"It's a group that's keen to get back into it and we've got a couple more days on Thursday and Friday to finish off that preparation. The guys have been doing a lot of work coming back and forth to Brisbane."
Australia's intra-squad fixture also provided valuable match practice for several players like Cameron Green, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Beau Webster and Jake Weatherald.
Australia vs Bangladesh Test series schedule and venues
Australia will begin their two-match Test series against Bangladesh with the first Test in Darwin, scheduled to be played from August 13 to August 17.
The venue is expected to provide conditions different from traditional Australian Test centres, making it an important contest for both teams early in the new World Test Championship cycle.
Following the Darwin encounter, the action will shift to Cairns, where the second and final Test will take place from August 21 to August 25. The series presents Australia with an opportunity to start their home season strongly, while Bangladesh will be aiming to register a rare Test series success on Australian soil.
With valuable World Test Championship points at stake, both matches are expected to play a significant role in the teams' early standings in the new cycle.
