World Test Championship Final: Leaving Michael Neser out a huge gamble by Australia, writes Ben Horne

Australia has a modern reincarnation of Ashes hero Terry Alderman at its disposal, yet is likely to leave him on the sidelines in conditions that suit him best. Ben Horne examines Australia’s selection gamble.

When your team is attempting to snatch Test cricket’s highest mantle from a cold start, it’s a big call to ignore a man whose engine is running hot.

On the surface, the decision to leave out in-form fast bowler Michael Neser from the 15-man squad for the World Test Championship Final against India (a one-off Test preceding the Ashes) is hardly a major shock when he wasn’t in the wider 17-man Ashes squad to begin with.

But in the new age where pre-series tour matches are a thing of the past, Australia is taking a significant gamble by ignoring the one fast bowler available to them who is up and running in English conditions.

Just last week, Australian coach Andrew McDonald admitted everything would have to go “perfectly” for Josh Hazlewood to play in the WTC Final, given he was flown home early from the IPL with minor side soreness and for the months before had been plagued by an achilles injury.

If Hazlewood does ultimately fall short in proving his fitness, or selectors decide to take a conservative approach and save him for the Ashes, then Australia is locked into a WTC Final attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, with squads unable to be changed unless there’s injury.

Cummins, Starc, Boland are three proven Test stars no doubt and Australia look extremely strong on paper, but they are three men who haven’t played a single cricket match of any format in over two months.

Michael Neser celebrates a wicket for Glamorgan.

With nine days to go until the WTC Final at The Oval on June 7, there seems a lot of unknowns for selectors to not at least give themselves the option of having Neser available for selection … particularly when he’s already joining the touring party for the pre-Test training camp.

Neser — who has performed very well in his only two Test matches — has been dominating English county cricket with bat and ball, including a seven-wicket haul (which featured a hat-trick) and a first-class hundred.

The uncompromising demands of modern cricket has contributed heavily to making tour matches a relic of the past for touring teams, and it’s understandable why Australia and India have elected to back the quality of their training to get themselves ready for Test cricket’s version of a grand final.

Terry Alderman enjoyed success in England as a swing bowler in the Neser mould.

But in the brave new world of the team not getting any match practice, it would appear even more risky to leave out players who are acclimatised to the conditions and firing from all cylinders.

Maybe that still wouldn’t get Neser ahead of Hazlewood and Scott Boland at the final selection meeting.

But what happens if training Neser is knocking blokes over left right and centre this week, and one of the other quicks is just struggling to hit the right line after so many weeks’ out of match play?

It happens.

With a cloud over Hazlewood and the other quicks coming off a spell, Australia needs fast bowling options in its 15-man WTC Final squad more than it needs a reserve wicketkeeper (Josh Inglis) or probably a back-up spinner (Todd Murphy).

There is no doubt Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Boland are Australia’s top four fast bowlers all things being equal.

But Terry Alderman took 83 wickets in two Ashes series and was a very Neser sort of bowler.

English wickets haven’t changed that much since then.

Neser is still well poised to get called into the Ashes squad at some point, but only time will tell if it should have been sooner.

AUSTRALIA SET TO GAMBLE ON HAZLEWOOD FOR WTC FINAL

Australia has made the surprising call to roll the dice on Josh Hazlewood’s fitness for the World Test Championship Final and ignore the claims of in-form quick Michael Neser.

Hazlewood was not expected to feature in the Final to be played against India at The Oval on June 7 after recently returning home early from the Indian Premier League with minor side soreness and not having played a Test since January when he injured an achilles.

Due to various fitness issues, Hazlewood has only played two Tests in the past two years.

The strong expectation was Australia would give Hazlewood longer to build up his fitness and resilience for the five-Test Ashes series to follow the WTC Final, but selectors have instead named the big paceman as one of only four quicks in their 15-man WTC squad.

Josh Hazlewood has been named in Australia’s squad for the World Test Championship Final. Picture: Getty Images

Even if Hazlewood doesn’t make the final XI, it means Australia will be launching into the WTC Final with three cold starters in their fast bowling arsenal — with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland all not having played any cricket since the Indian Test series back in March.

Although not in the original 17-man Ashes squad, selectors had the option of calling up Queensland seamer Neser to the 15-man party for the WTC, as the only Australian quick currently playing in English conditions — and in red hot form.

Neser has been absolutely flying for his county side Glamorgan, taking a hat-trick as part of a seven-wicket haul, and also smashing a first-class century with the bat.

Many good judges feel two-Test star Neser’s game is perfectly suited to English conditions.

Neser is still a strong chance to be added to the Ashes squad at some point, but could only be injected into the WTC squad if there was a late injury.

Michael Neser has been overlooked by Australia despite his strong form. Picture: Getty Images

All-rounder Mitchell Marsh and batsman Matthew Renshaw are the two players from the 17-man Ashes squad to miss the cut for the revised WTC squad.

It confirms Marcus Harris shapes as next man in should Australia make a change to their batting order during the English summer.

Reserve spinner Todd Murphy and back-up keeper Josh Inglis have made the cut.

Meanwhile, India has included some new faces in its 15-man squad from the side that defeated Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year.

Veteran Ajinkya Rahane is back, along with Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadakt and Ishan Kishan — with IPL superstar Suryakumar missing the cut.