Test aspirant Michael Neser on hat-trick as he runs through India A top-order before hurting hamstring

Nathan McSweeney missed a chance to barge through the door to the Test team in Australia A’s clash with India A at the MCG, but it has now slammed shut on Cam Bancroft.

McSweeney, the frontrunner to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja in Perth later this month, was elevated to open in this match for the first time ever in first-class cricket.

That move was the strongest hint yet from selectors in the four-horse race for the final Test spot, but McSweeney, inset, was caught in the slips for 14 off paceman Mukesh Kumar in an uninspiring dig on the opening day.

The South Australian captain left the ball well and appeared solid early before letting his bat linger on a ball outside off.

Bancroft made it to three before pulling a short ball from Khaleel Ahmed to a fielder at square-leg in Australia A’s clash with India A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. His hopes of a first Test since 2019 are now over.

Former Test opener Marcus Harris (26), who played and missed several times against a probing attack, and NSW teen tyro Sam Konstas (1) were not out on the eve of stumps as the home side edged to 2-53.

Earlier, Michael Neser hobbled off the MCG with a hamstring injury, only hours after ripping through India A’s top-order to seemingly put himself back in Test contention.

The Queensland bowling all-rounder made a mess of the tourists as they crumbled to 5-64 at lunch, after McSweeney won the toss and elected to bowl first.

But Neser (4-27) managed to bowl just two balls of his 13th over, before pulling up sore and walking dejectedly off the field only minutes before the tea break.

Neser won’t bowl again for the rest of the match and will undergo scans on his left hamstring to determine the damage.

India A were bowled out for 161, almost entirely thanks to a brilliant unbeaten 80 from wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel.

Earlier, they collapsed to 4-11 during a chaotic first 16 balls of the match.

Neser was on a hat-trick in his first over after dismissing Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sai Sudharsan in consecutive balls. Ruturaj Gaikwad survived the hat-trick ball, but fell in Neser’s next over.

In between, Scott Boland removed KL Rahul, an option to play against Australia in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar series, for just four. The wickets tumbled so quickly that the scoreboard at the MCG failed to realise Rahul had been promoted to open after he had initially been listed to bat at No.4.

Rahul was dropped for India’s third Test defeat against New Zealand last week, arriving in Australia early to try and find some form for India A.

It only took three balls from Boland (1-22) — and four overall — to get Rahul out at the MCG.

Boland hasn’t played for Australia since the 2023 Ashes, but will be in consideration for a call-up this summer.