Australia’s stand-in captain for the first two Tests of the ongoing 2025-26 Ashes, Steve Smith, hopes Michael Neser’s five-wicket haul in the second Test will quiet chatter over the decision to bench Nathan Lyon. Neser claimed his first five-wicket haul in Tests, recording figures of 5/42 in 16.2 overs in the second innings.
He was instrumental in triggering England’s collapse on the 4th after resistance in the first session from Ben Stokes and Will Jacks. After his match-winning performance, Smith hoped the five-for would end the criticism he faced for placing Nathan Lyon. He appreciated Neser’s skill in keeping things tight with stump to off-stump and forcing batsmen to take risks.
“He’s done an amazing job. I hope so. It was tight, we could have gone a few different ways and it’s certainly nothing against Nathan. He’s been our spinner for a long time. I think Michael offers something different. We can bring up the wickets, we can mix stump to stump, keep things tight and make you take chances when the ball is probably not as fast or a bit of a skid,” Smith said after the conference.
Smith also mentioned that Neser helped them expand their batting lineup.
“It was a similar role to what Nathan will be playing, obviously not a spinner but a similar role and obviously (he) extended our batting which we thought would be crucial as well,” he added.
Meantime, Lyon openly expressed his disappointment when he was dropped for the second Ashes Test, the first time he had missed a home Test since 2012. With Australia attacking all the seams, the decision surprised many fans and pundits, especially when captain Steve Smith indicated he preferred other seamers to take advantage of the pink ball in day-night conditions.
The move did wonders for the team as Neser took six wickets in the match and kept the runs in check, especially in the second innings. Australia eventually won the second Test by eight wickets to take a 2–0 lead in the series.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
December 8, 2025
