Renowned as one of the best 360-degree stroke players in the country, Josh Inglis admits he struggled to contain his smile when he launched Andre Russell’s first ball of his final international match almost 100-metres onto the roof at Sabina Park.
It took the Australian wicketkeeper to a 22-ball half-century – his second quickest in T20Is – and had his side well on their way to a crushing eight-wicket win with more than four overs remaining in the second T20 international in Jamaica.
But equally for Inglis, it was gratification for the recent months spent upping his power game that has helped make 2025 one of his best in the shortest format.
The right-hander has always been able to hit to every corner of the ground – which was again on show with several laps and reverse laps in his 33-ball unbeaten 78 against West Indies – but depositing a fast bowler that far over his head has been a relatively recent addition to his game.
“I was trying to hide my smile a bit because I don’t usually hit bombs like that,” Inglis told cricket.com.au of his 98m hit off Russell that lodged in the gutter on top of the George Headley Stand.
“I’m not kidding myself though, it’s not a big ground so, yes, it’s nice to hit one on the roof but it’s probably only 60m all the way around.”
The improvements to his power-hitting, which Inglis said he started implementing during his maiden Indian Premier League stint with the Ricky Ponting-coached Punjab Kings earlier this year, have paid off so far with his T20 strike rate in 2025 at a career-high mark of 176.
Inglis cleared the rope five times during Tuesday night’s player-of-the-match performance, with his average sixes hit per innings also higher this year (1.8) than it’s ever been since his debut for Perth Scorchers in 2017.
And the 30-year-old’s T20 average (37.40) across both domestic and international matches is more than seven runs higher than his career mark (30.29) following a breakthrough IPL campaign that saw him establish himself in runners-up Punjab’s first-choice XI with 278 runs in 11 games.
It was there that the West Australian tweaked his set up to have his hands and back lift starting slightly further away from his body to allow himself better access to swing through the line of the ball.
“It’s just something I identified during the IPL with just a little bit of a shift in my stance and where my hands go,” Inglis explained.
“Now I feel like my hands are out here (to the off-side) a bit more so I’m able to swing through the line of the ball more, so it’s a lot easier to access down the ground, which I sort of struggled with in the past.
“It feels like it’s working and it’s coming off.”
Cameron Green also hit four sixes in his 56no from 32 deliveries, sharing an unbroken third-wicket stand of 131 runs with Inglis that comfortably took Australia to a 2-0 series lead with 28 balls remaining.
It was Green’s second straight half-century following his 51 in the series opener on Sunday, and fifth consecutive international innings of 42 or better after growing into his new No.3 role in the Test side during their 3-0 sweep of West Indies prior to the T20Is.
In a difficult series for batting, Green finished the Test campaign with scores of 52, 46 and 42, and having only played seven T20 matches in the past year, Inglis said the 26-year-old eager for a run of matches in the shortest format.
“He’s playing beautifully, he’s been champing at the bit for this series,” Inglis said.
“At the end of the Test series he was so excited to get into the colours.
“He hasn’t played much T20 cricket in the last few years (having also not played BBL since 2020), so to do what he’s done so far in this series has been outstanding.
“He’s put the bowlers under pressure, and he’s read the situations of the game really well.”
Australia travel to St Kitts on Wednesday for the final three matches where the tourists need just one more victory for their third straight T20 series triumph over West Indies.
Qantas Tour of the West Indies
First T20I: Australia won by three wickets
Second T20I: Australia won by eight wickets
Third T20I: July 25, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 26, 9am AEST)
Fourth T20I: July 26, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 27, 9am AEST)
Fifth T20I: July 28, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 29, 9am AEST)
West Indies T20 squad: Shai Hope (c), Jewel Andrew, Jediah Blades, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde (St Kitts only), Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell (Kingston only), Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd
Australia’s T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Adam Zampa
