The surprise recall of Michael Neser to Australia’s Test squad indicates the Aussie selectors are expecting seam-friendly pitches at Wellington and Christchurch for the upcoming two-match tour of New Zealand.
Neser’s inclusion in the 14-player squad is the only notable change to Test personnel from recenthome series against Pakistan and West Indies, and comes with a couple of other pace-bowling options currently nursing injuries.
The Black Caps will play Australia in three T20 matches (February 21 in Wellington and February 23 and 25 in Auckland) and two Tests (February 29-March 4 in Wellington and March 8-12 in Christchurch).
Lance Morris, who was part of Australia’s Test set-up earlier in the summer, suffered a side injury during last Tuesday’s Dettol ODI Series match against West Indies in Canberra while fellow Western Australian Jhye Richardson also has a side strain that will sideline him for up to six weeks.
Neser and Scott Boland – who was cleared to continue bowling after experiencing knee soreness during this week’s Sheffield Shield match in Melbourne – will be auxiliary quicks for the Test tour behind incumbent trio Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
The Black Caps’ 281-run thumping of a below-strength South Africa at Mount Maunganui this week lifted them above Australia on the World Test Championship table, with a chance to extend that lead after the second Test against the Proteas at Hamilton starting next Tuesday.
New Zealand have not recorded a Test series win against Australia in New Zealand since the one-match campaign of 1990 but are boosted by the return of several key players including fast bowler Kyle Jamieson and former skipper Kane Williamson who peeled off centuries in both innings against South Africa.
After suffering elbow problems and an ACL tear, Williamson has now scored six centuries in as many Test appearances and has dominated on his home tracks where he has averaged 96 across 10 matches since the start of 2020, posting 10 hundreds in that time.
But Daryl Mitchell remains under a cloud, having been ruled out of the ongoing series against South Africa and the T20s against Australia that precede the Test matches with a foot injury that has taken longer to heal than first expected.
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc
