Alex Carey has welcomed Josh Inglis with open arms into the Test team's "Keepers Club", saying they are good mates despite their ongoing battle for selection.
Inglis is fast becoming Australia's preferred white-ball keeper, but Carey still has an iron grip on the Test gloves heading into the five-match series against India, starting in Perth on Friday.
Carey enters the series in hot form, having plundered a competition-leading 452 runs at an average of 90.4 in three Sheffield Shield games this season.
But Inglis was also included in Australia's 13-man Test squad after averaging 99 from his two Shield hit-outs.
Carey could be just one form slump away from losing his spot to Inglis in the Test team.
But instead of viewing Inglis as a threat, he says he's embracing the chance to have another friend in the squad.
"He's a mate, so it's always a good thing," Carey said.
"We've been in lots of squads together now, white ball cricket, some Test squads together, National Performance Squad days.
"So it will be great to work alongside Josh.
"Keepers clubs are normally pretty small. So to have one more in there is great."
Carey said wicketkeepers jostling for spots was part of the game.
"I understand it's a unique position to be," Carey said.
"There's one wicketkeeper in a team, and there's lots of quality around the country who are trying to get that spot, and I was one of those players one day.
"So you focus on your game. You can control what you can control, and that's all you've really got the capabilities of.
"So for me it's - do my job for this team, hopefully help us win games of cricket and play in this Test team as long as possible."
Carey credited his recent run of hot form to a technical tweak and a fresher mindset following some time away from the game.
"I guess you play and play and play, and you don't really get a chance to work on too many things," Carey said.
"Not having games (recently), I've just mucked around a little bit with my hands and found something that felt good, and sort of ran with that.
"I've just got my hands up a little bit higher and the bat up to the sky, and from there, I just try to react.
"It did feel good pretty much straight away, so I didn't have to search too much.
"Just a bit of time off and a bit of exploring gives you those opportunities."
