Australia looks set to recall Michael Neser for the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, amid heavy speculation over the make-up of the XI.
On match eve, acting captain Steve Smith refused to lock in the final Australian team, with full-time skipper Pat Cummins firming for an eleventh hour return from a back injury and spinner Nathan Lyon no guarantee to hold his place ahead of suspected pace-friendly conditions.
However, Neser, who last played a Test three years ago against the West Indies at the Adelaide Oval and has served as a perennial reserve for much of his career, was seen marking out his run-up at the Gabba before play on Day 1, alongside Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett, Australia’s pace attack for the first Test.
Should Neser play and replace Lyon, it would be the first Test on home soil without the champion off-spinner since early 2012.
The 35-year old Neser made his Test debut in the second Test of the 2021/22 Ashes series, filling in for Cummins, who was ruled out after becoming a close contact of a COVID case on match eve.
He has seven wickets from his two Tests at an average of 16.71, but it’s his record for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield, where he has more than 400 wickets, primarily a the Gabba, that looks set to be most useful for Australia.
His handy batting, which has yielded 3964 first-class runs at an average of more than 28 with five centuries, will also boost the hosts’ lower order, with Boland and Doggett both genuine tailenders.
Neser was originally left out of Australia’s squad for the first Test, with Starc, Boland, Doggett, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott all preferred, but injuries to the latter two saw him added as injury cover.
Australia have already confirmed one change to the XI that took a 1-0 series lead in Perth, with Josh Inglis returning for Usman Khawaja, who was ruled out due to the back injuries that limited his involvement in the first Test.
Travis Head, who dazzled with a 69-ball century as a makeshift opener at Optus Stadium to lead Australia to victory, is set to remain at the top of the order.
Speaking to Fox Cricket before the start of play, Head said it was ‘pretty obvious’ he’d be staying as opener.
“I’ve prepared that way – preparation doesn’t really change too much between five and opening or wherever I play. I’ve been fortunate enough to open a lot in international cricket in white-ball formats,” he said.
The hosts will confirm their final XI at the toss at 2:30pm (AEDT), which is 2pm local time.
England, meanwhile, confirmed one change to their team two days out from the Test, with spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks coming in for the injured Mark Wood.
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