Michael Neser will miss the remainder of the India A vs Australia A match. The fast bowler had wreaked havoc on the visitors at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), claiming the scalps of four of India’s top five batters. Neser had taken two wickets in the first over of the match (Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan) and then returned to send captain Ruturaj Gaikwad back into the hut.
Michael Neser’s injury trouble
He’d go on to bowl 10 more overs without much trouble, and then in his 13th over, he faced some issues with his left hamstring. Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed that Neser won’t take the field any further. Neser had similar trouble in the last Sheffield Shield game he played for Queensland, after which he missed a One-Day Cup game.
He’d felt soreness during the match against South Australia, which he attributed to the outfield at the MCG. Due to the footy (Australian Football) season, there was extra sand on the outfield, which was troubling Neser while running on the ground. His claim was backed by Mitchell Starc and Sean Abbott. Starc had issues with cramping, while Abbott claimed his legs felt heavy.
Neser was also coming from a calf injury and had restrictions put on his bowling workload. Although it wasn’t certain that he’d play due to Cameron Green’s unavailability, a selection door might have opened up for him. Now, it seems like he won’t be fit for the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Perth. However, a long break between the first and second Tests could see him recover in time, and to manage the workload of the pacers, he could very well play towards the end of the series.
BGT 2024-25 schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | November 22-26 | Perth Stadium, Perth | 7:50 AM |
| 2nd Test (D/N) | December 6-10 | Adelaide Oval | 9:30 AM |
| 3rd Test | December 14-18 | The Gabba, Brisbane | 5:50 AM |
| 4th Test | December 26-30 | MCG, Melbourne | 5:00 AM |
| 5th Test | January 3-7 | SCG, Sydney | 5:00 AM |
