Leeds-born Josh Inglis shows no sentiment after decimating England in Champions Trophy win

Australia ’s wicket-keeper batsman Josh Inglis may have been born in Leeds, but has no sentimental feelings towards England after inflicting a crushing defeat on them on Saturday.

The 29-year-old had no regrets over his ruthless batting performance in Lahore. He smashed an unbeaten 120 off just 86 balls to steer Australia to a record 352-run chase in their first Champions Trophy group match. Inglis, who moved to Perth as a teenager, has long been on Australia’s radar.

His international career began in white-ball cricket before making his Test debut earlier this year. When asked about facing England, he made it clear that sentimentality had no place in his mindset. Inglis said when asked if he still had any allegiance to England: “Those days are long gone. But I still support [Manchester] City in football.”

Australia’s chase was anything but straightforward, as they found themselves in trouble at 136-4. However, Inglis formed a crucial 146-run fifth-wicket partnership with Alex Carey (69) to steady the innings.

Prior to that, Matthew Short (63) and Marnus Labuschagne (47) had built a third-wicket stand of 95 runs. Inglis remarked: “They sort of set the platform there, got us off to a good start. We were in and around the run rate to start off with, so that was a big help.”

Once Carey was dismissed, Glenn Maxwell’s explosive 32 off 15 balls ensured Australia reached the target with ease. Inglis revealed that the team had anticipated favourable batting conditions later in the game and planned accordingly.

He explained: “We trained here at night for the last couple of days, and it got really dewy around 7:30-8:00. So, we knew if we could take it deep enough, it would be tough for the bowlers at the back end. The wicket skidded on beautifully and really helped our run chase.”

Despite growing up in England, Inglis has fully embraced his Australian identity. His journey from Yorkshire to the heart of Australian cricket has been defined by his performances, and his latest innings was a statement of his commitment.

While he admitted to receiving messages from friends and family in England, there was no hesitation when it came to putting his adopted nation first. Speaking of his century, the batsman said: “I think it’s really special. It doesn’t matter who it’s against.”

With one win secured, Australia are now in a strong position to reach the semi-finals. They face South Africa and Afghanistan next, knowing that another win will all but seal their place in the knockout stage.

Meanwhile, England must regroup quickly if they hope to recover from a disappointing start. For Inglis, the job is simple: keep scoring runs and keep winning. Any sentimental ties to his birthplace were left behind long ago.