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Australian all-rounder Michael Neser scored his career-best score of 176* in Glamorgan's ongoing County Championship clash against Leicestershire. He now makes a very strong case for himself ahead of the fourth Ashes Test in Manchester as the visitors ponder over changes after a few cracks were on show recently.
Neser, 33, has made two Test appearances for Australia to date and has been below the pecking order considering the names that make it to the playing XI.
He had a solid Big Bash League (BBL) campaign for the Brisbane Heat following which he represented Glamorgan on the English county circuit. Neser has been influential with both bat and ball across the five County Championship matches he has played so far.
The right-arm pacer has also claimed 19 wickets at an average of 26, which includes a five-wicket haul, and also scored two hundreds. He scored a stunning 123 in the team's clash against Sussex and followed it up with his recent unbeaten 176 amid the Ashes.
Coming in at 73-5, Neser's counter-attacking knock comprising 25 fours and two sixes, propelled the team to 403-9. The timing of the knock arguably could not be better as Australia are caught up in a genuine selection headache for the fourth Test.
On that note, here are 3 reasons why Australia must play Michael Neser in the fourth Ashes Test.
#1 Well-versed with the conditions in England
A select set of members from the Australian squad partook in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), while a vast majority took some time off and prepared for the World Test Championship (WTC) in Australia itself.
A small fraction of players like Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Michael Neser got to England early and got a grip on the conditions.
The move has certainly paid off for Smith, who has scored two centuries in England already. While the Australian bowlers have done well for the most part of the Ashes, they could certainly use someone who has been bowling consistently in English conditions for a while, as a final piece in their pace bowling jigsaw.
#2 Provides batting depth which Australia desperately need
The Ashes began well for England as Usman Khawaja was piling on the runs and the other batters, including the lower order, were also playing their part. However, as the series progressed, the pitches have been better for the bowlers and this has impacted Australia's scores.
The Aussies have been bowled under 300 in each of their last three innings. They had to rely on counter-attacking innings from middle-order batters like Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh of late.
Additionally, their tail has not been able to wag much and Mark Wood's apparent presence in the rest of the series will continue to make it difficult.
This is where Neser slots in well for Australia. He can be more than just a handy batter as his domestic exploits have shown. he can bat along with the tail as well to stretch the innings total.
With the series so far being defined by fine margins, such small partnerships at the end also help in a big way.
#3 Relies on movement through the air rather from the surface, making him a better candidate than Boland in England
Australia have enough pace in their attack with Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Naturally, they hit the deck hard and try to extract the most out of the pitch rather than in the air.
However, Michael Neser along with someone like Jhye Richardson are exceptions to this as they get the ball to swing a lot as well.
Neser's inclusion instead of Scott Boland will provide a bit of variety to the bowling attack. The swap between the two bowlers proves to be even more justified as Boland is struggling for rhythm.
Boland played in the World Test Championship (WTC) final and made a lasting impression. He even retained his place for the Ashes opener, but he has not been able to deal with England's aggressive approach. Boland ended up wicketless during the third Test in Leeds and is bound to be replaced for the fourth Test.
Will Australia include Michael Neser in the playing XI for the fourth Ashes Test? Let us know what you think.
