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With a little over a month to go for the high-voltage five Test series against India, Australia have suffered a significant dent in their pursuit to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Upcoming all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the whole summer and has opted to go for a long-term solution by undergoing a back surgery.
While Australia's plans for the big summer have been thrown into a bit of a disarray, it still opens up an opportunity for those grinding it out in the domestic circuit. With the Sheffield Shield ongoing and Australia A set to compete against India A in a couple of four-day matches, the selectors will get a clue on who can be a suitable replacement.
Below are 3 players Australia can pick to replace Cameron Green for the squad in the Test series against India:
3) Beau Webster:
30-year-old Beau Webster has been in the domestic circuit for a decade now and has credible numbers as a seam-bowling all-rounder, but hasn't won a national cap yet. However, Green's injury could be his opportunity. Having made his first-class debut in February 2014, Webster has played 88 matches, scoring 4962 runs at 37.30 alongside 12 centuries.
The Tasmanian has also claimed a decent 33 wickets at 38.43. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series looming, he scored a century against Victoria in the recent Sheffield Shield fixture at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Webster sent down 17 overs for one scalp in what proved to be a high-scoring draw. The right-handed batter was also the highest run-getter in the 2023/24 Sheffield Shield season with 938 runs in 19 innings.
2) Aaron Hardie:
Aaron Hardie has been long earmarked as the future of the Australian side, given his height and appetite for big runs. Hardie has already represented Australia in limited-overs cricket, playing eight ODIs and ten T20Is and has showcased promise, especially in the 50-overs format. At the same time, Hardie's first-class numbers are also impressive.
The 25-year-old right-arm seamer has accumulated 1699 runs in 33 first-class games at 40.45 alongside 63 scalps at 28.53 apiece. He finished with 377 runs in seven matches in the 2023/24 Sheffield Shield season. With Hardie named in the ODI squad to face Pakistan, he would like to get some first-class matches under his belt to come into contention.
1) Michael Neser:
Michael Neser is the only player among the three to have donned the Baggy Green and while his profile might refer as a bowling all-rounder, he is fast becoming a genuine one. Having represented the national team only in two Tests thus far, he has taken seven wickets at 16.71. With Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins being regulars in the side, the 34-year-old has been unlucky to find a spot in the XI. However, he finished with 14 wickets in seven games in the 2023/24 Sheffield Shield competition.
With the bat, Neser racked up 368 runs, averaging a healthy 36.80. The South African-born cricketer has done his chances a lot good of playing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series after grabbing six wickets in the Sheffield Shield 2024/25 fixture against Western Australia. The veteran will also get a chance to showcase his skills in the two four-day matches against India A.
Neser's first-class bowling average of 24.10 and batting average of 28.65 warranty plenty of promise.
