Rain gives Alex Carey the nod ahead of the first Test

Alex Carey has been named Australia's wicket-keeper, replacing the departing captain Tim Paine. With rain threatening Australia's internal squad match, recent form has decided who the selectors opted for.

The Australian squad is due to commence a three-day internal match today, but Brisbane's dreary weather forecast is likely to can the hit-out. Storms and showers are expected to bring up to 40mm of rain over the course of the day, following a trend that is set to continue this summer.

A week away from the first Test, those on the fringes of selection will be denied the last chance to stake their claim for their inclusion in the Ashes. This includes the hotly-contested wicket-keeping spot. Despite the threat of rain jeopardizing the internal fixture, Cricket Australia (CA) and its coaching staff are confident in the squad's preparations so far.

A CA spokesperson noted that the players have had four three-hour center wicket sessions in the past week despite the challenging weather.

Australian bowling coach Andrew McDonald said the squad was not perturbed by the threat of rain, indicating that they were well prepared for the first Test.

“The weather’s been challenging at times, but we’ve still been able to get out into the centre. Also, these guys have got a lot of Test experience to draw upon. So changing formats is something that they’ve been able to deal with across their careers. “I think we’ll be really, really, really well-prepared,” he said, speaking to Fox Cricket.

Carey to take the gloves

Alex Carey has long been touted as a potential replacement for Paine, having already been a seasoned international cricketer. He is also a very reliable figure behind the stumps.

Carey is a mainstay of the ODI team. He was especially pertinent to Australia's 2019 World Cup campaign, where he took 18 catches and two stumpings and was pushed up the order to bat at No. 5.

Carey's ascension to first-class cricket through his excellence in the One Day format has been likened to Adam Gilchrist. Carey is an explosive batter, having already scored five first-class centuries at an average of 35.66.

His spectacular hundred on Sunday in the One Day Cup may have come at just the right time as batting performances dominate the pre-Test commentary.

Additionally, Carey remains confident that he can translate his wicket-keeping form into into Test cricket.

"white ball cricket's different again because you don't often get a lot of balls coming to you. So when you get to red-ball cricket you get a different rhythm, and as obvious as it sounds it's just about catching the ball. My one job is to take dismissals that come my way, and I felt like I've done that pretty well. I feel like I'm moving quite well, and happy with the way I'm watching the ball. We can complicate it as much as we want to, this sport and wicketkeeping, but my job is to take those dismissals and I'll be judged on that," he said speaking to cricket.com.au.

With the gloves, Carey's Shield record shows 37 matches for the return of 149 stumpings (145 catches, four stumpings). Carey has also kept in five first-class matches this summer for 18 catches and two stumpings.

The battle for the wicket-keeping spot was wittled down to Carey and Josh Inglis. However, the internal match being canceled has all but put an end to the last-chance stand-off.

Inglis has had next to no red-ball form to lean on this season, attributed to being a part of Australia's winning T20 World Cup campaign. At 26 years old, Inglis is poised to be a part of the Australian set-up for years to come, but is an unknown quantity in relation to Carey.

His selection may have been a risky move ahead of an Ashes series. Inglis has been reduced to just one Shield outing this summer, where he scored 41 runs.

Inglis raised eyebrows during the 2021/21 Sheffield Shield season, where he averaged 73.12 batting in the lower-order, notching up a total of 585 runs for the season. Only Marnus Labuschagne scored more centuries than Inglis last season.

The 26 year-old from Western Australia played 34 first-class matches before scoring a century, highlighting the breakthrough season he had last year.

In 41 first-class matches, Inglis has taken 138 catches and three stumpings— marginally below Carey's numbers. His glovework is largely undisputed and past Australian greats have labeled him the deserved wicket-keeper ahead of the summer.

Shane Warne penned a column in the Herald Sun claiming: "Inglis has my vote," and Ricky Ponting believes he is a sound long-term prospect.

“If I had my Australian selector’s hat on I’d like to see this boy up the top of the order and batting there game after game. I feel he’s someone that can potentially play for Australia in a few different formats and it just feels to me that he’s being starved of a season," Ponting said speaking to Fox Cricket.