Ashes 2023: Johnson suggests Australia to pick Harris, Neser for Manchester Test

MANCHESTER: Former fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson has suggested that Australia need to pick Marcus Harris and Michael Neser in place of David Warner and Scott Boland for the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford starting on July 19.

Australia's three-wicket loss in the third Ashes Test at Leeds has put the spotlight on the positions of Warner and Boland in the playing eleven. Warner has averaged a meagre 23.5, with just one fifty from six innings to show. Boland, on the other hand, has picked only two wickets in the two Tests he’s played.

"Put simply, Warner goes out because he's out of form, Michael Neser comes in because he's in form and Mitch Marsh retains his place for the same reason. Marcus Harris has been waiting in the wings for a long time since being an unlucky omission during the last home Ashes series and deserves a shot.

I would opt for Marcus Harris to open the batting with Usman Khawaja and Neser to replace Scott Boland, with Cam Green missing out despite declaring himself fit to play," wrote Johnson in his column for The West Australian on Sunday.

At the third Ashes Test in Headingley, Mitchell Marsh marked his return to Test cricket with a century in the first innings and picked a few scalps as Cameron Green sat out due to a low-grade hamstring injury.

Johnson admitted that choosing between Marsh and Green will be tough, but chose the former.

"Green wasn't at his best in the first two Tests and may be a bit tired physically and mentally after a lot of cricket, including the Indian Premier League, and also the relentless pressure of the all-rounder’s job," he said.

"Marsh went through this early in his career when he was peppered with criticism, which is draining day in and day out, on top of having to remain switched on for such a big proportion of any Test match," he added.

Elaborating on preferring Neser over Boland, Johnson said, "Neser's confidence will be high after another century in County cricket this week and he has bowled well there and in Australia last summer, when he took 40 wickets in eight Sheffield Shield games at 16.7."

"The English conditions suit his style and the time he has put in over there shows that he really wants to play, he wants to get better and learn how to use the Dukes ball. Neser was in the touring squad back in 2019 and can’t have done any more to demand selection.

We know what Boland is capable of, but he hasn’t been at his best so far during the Ashes and Neser offers a better all-round package, including his lower order runs which have been key in the series so far," he concluded.