Caught-and-bowled specialist back from the brink

Michael Neser feared his Test cricket career was over when a frustrating hamstring injury struck him down at the worst possible time last summer.

A year later, the affable bowling allrounder is "strong again" and on the cusp of helping Australia to a 2-0 Ashes series lead.

Neser, 35, went some way to justifying his shock selection ahead of Nathan Lyon in the second Ashes Test with two big wickets -- both caught-and-bowled -- under lights on day three at the Gabba.

After England flew to 0-45 at the dinner break, Neser (2-27) stretched high to catch Ollie Pope (26) from his own bowling before giving Zak Crawley (44) the same treatment.

Crawley played low into Neser's hands amid a collapse of 6-80 that looks to have cruelled England's hopes of levelling the series in Brisbane.

Neser had dropped Ben Duckett (15) on six earlier in the night so was pleased to have struck back with some valuable scalps in the top order.

"That first one Duckett hit was a bit harder, he hit that very hard. Those are 50-50s but the other two were pretty regulation. Fortunately enough, I caught them," Neser said.

England (6-134) went to stumps 43 runs behind Australia, who set a big first-innings total of 511 and appear likely to seal a second win from as many Tests this series.

This week's home Test felt a world away for Neser last summer after the Queenslander suffered a long-term hamstring injury playing for Australia A in early November.

Neser, who had played the second of his two Test matches in 2022, had been in the mix to replace injured Cam Green for the hotly-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Instead, he watched as Mitch Marsh and Beau Webster earned the nod as allrounders in the famous series win, all the while questioning his own Test future.

"To be honest, after the last season, when I thought I was bowling superbly and I had my chance and I did my hammy really badly, I thought, 'Bugger, that could've been my chance'," Neser said.

He needed two months to recover from his injury and eventually returned to the pitch for the end of the BBL and Sheffield Shield seasons.

A mainstay of extended Test squads, he skipped out on a possible county cricket stint over the Australian winter to ensure he would be fit if called upon for the Ashes.

"A big pre-season did me wonders and I feel strong again. I feel like my hammy is back to the way it was," Neser said.

This week marked an end to Neser's three-year wait for a third chance in the Test team, with the quick called into an all-pace attack for a depleted Australia at the Gabba.

"I always dream about playing for Australia. It's something that I live and breathe, cricket. To be given another chance, I'm very honoured," he said.

Neser holds the odd distinction among world cricketers of playing all of his first three Test matches in day-night fixtures.

He was called in for a last-minute debut in the 2021/22 Ashes series before adding a second cap against West Indies in 2022 and then replacing Lyon in Brisbane.

In a perfect world, Neser would love a crack at red-ball Test cricket, but that may not come this summer with Pat Cummins likely to recover from a back injury for the third Test.

"I'm very fortunate and privileged that I've been given the chance with the pink-ball Tests," he said.

"But obviously it's a dream to play more Tests and red-ball, pink-ball, I love it all."

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: December 4-8, The Gabba, Brisbane (D/N), 3pm AEDT

Third Test: December 17-21: Adelaide Oval, 10:30am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (second Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood