Michael Neser strives for reward in tough conditions
The team, currently touring India, reached the final of the quadrangular one-day series before going down to India B.
Neser, the 28-year-old pacer from Queensland, had a decent time of it in the series, which included India A and South Africa A, keeping things tight and even getting among the wickets in the league game against India B, when he picked up 3/47, two of the wickets those of top-three batsmen.
But it wasn’t easy going on the unfamiliar tracks.
“It was tough conditions as a quick. It obviously favours the spin over here in India. It took out a lot, very hard wickets to bowl on. But if you do bowl well, you do get rewarded,” he said ahead of the shift to the four-day series against India A.
“The basics are the same for four-day and one-day cricket. Going into four-day focus, obviously variations are not going to be as vital, but the basics remain the same. We’ve got plenty of things to work on, and looking forward to the four-day series.”
Playing days’ cricket in India also means switching to the SG balls, a far cry from the brands used in Australia or England. “I’ve had a couple of training sessions with the SG ball, and it’s not too dissimilar to what we train with in Australia – we train with the Duke and the Kooka. I’m looking forward to bowling with this ball. It might scuff up a bit more, reverse might play a bit of a role in this fixture,” he said.
Neser, who made his Australia debut earlier this year in the one-day international series in England, picking up two wickets in two matches, had a great time with Queensland in the last edition of the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s premier first-class competition. Queensland won the title, and Neser had 39 wickets at an average of 21.84.
“Definitely I’ll take a lot out of my four-day Shield cricket. I don’t feel like it was too long ago. I’m looking forward to bowling in four-day cricket – I’m sure it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m up for that challenge,” he said.
“It might take a bit of focus here in India, but if it comes to me tying down an end, that’s going to be my role. Hopefully the wickets have a bit of assistance for the quicks, but if not, I’ll just do my role and do what I can.”
And though the ODI debut has happened, Neser doesn’t want to train his eyes on the Test tour of the United Arab Emirates to play Pakistan later this year – not yet. “To be honest, I’m just focused on this tour, I don’t want to look too far ahead of myself. That’s how I have always played, just look ahead to the next game coming up ahead,” said Neser.