After Usman Khawaja (232) fell caught behind in the first Test against Sri Lanka, Inglis assumed the mantle of chief destroyer to bring up triple figures, punching Nishan Peiris to deep extra cover.
The West Australian gestured to his family in the Galle crowd and embraced batting partner Alex Carey, the man for whom he has long been back-up wicketkeeper at Test level.
But in at No.5, Inglis (102 from 94 balls) vindicated his selection as a specialist batter, showcasing his skill against spin and looking comfortable from the outset.
Aussie centurions Usman Khawaja (left) and Josh Inglis shared a 146-run partnership. (AP PHOTO)
He notably smacked Jeffrey Vandersay for four to mid-on on the first ball he faced, unfazed that the legspinner had trapped Steve Smith (141) lbw the previous delivery.
Just after lunch, Inglis became the third Australian in a row to bring up a half-century in his first Test knock after Sam Konstas and Beau Webster did the same in the India series.
But the West Australian was not done there, whacking Vandersay over long-on for six to move into the 80s, and finishing that over with a four through the covers.
By the time he edged Prabath Jayasuriya to cover, Inglis had become the 21st Australian - and first since Adam Voges in June 2015 - to score a century on Test debut.
It had been a long time coming for Inglis, who has captained Australia in white-ball cricket and made 55 appearances across one-day and Twenty20 Internationals.
His promotion to the XI had not been without controversy, given it came at the expense of star teenager Konstas - dropped to allow Travis Head to move to the top of the order.
The baggy green cap looks good on Josh Inglis 👌— ICC (@ICC) #SLvAUS pic.twitter.com/j97trumPCeJanuary 29, 2025
But with his track record in Asia, including Australia's 2023 World Cup win in India, Inglis had become too enticing a selection prospect.
Inglis has now given selectors a headache, with Head likely to slot back to No.5 in home conditions and Konstas vying for a recall at the top.
On Wednesday, Yorkshire-born Inglis had his baggy green presented to him by Australian Test great Geoff Marsh, and was ribbed by his teammates during the ceremony in Galle.
"There's been a lot of jokes, probably from me because I'm Pakistani, I like to joke about his heritage," Khawaja said at stumps on day one.
"I asked him if (Yorkshire cricket legend) Geoffrey Boycott was going to give him his hat today. Then we just started rattling off lots of Yorkshire players."
Behind the jokes, the Australian team had been confident in Inglis' ability to thrive in Sri Lanka after a summer averaging 72.6 across three matches for WA.
"He's a terrific player," Khawaja had said.
"I look forward to seeing him bat out there because I think these conditions will very much suit him."
13°C