Morris, 24, has had an outstanding Sheffield Shield season where he is the leading wicket-taker with 27 and 18.40. He almost bowled WA to a remarkable victory at the Gabba on Sunday.
“I’m an attacking and intimidating bowler,” Morris told ESPNcricinfo earlier in the season. “I can get to the early 150s [kph]. I’m just settling into my body now. They say around 26 is when you basically mature as a bowler. I’ve got still room to get faster.”
Whether Morris cracks into the XI remains to be seen with Scott Boland, who averages 9.55 in Tests, already there as the reserve quick. He has not played since his stunning Ashes performance last season.
But Morris could add a point-of-difference to the attack and the selectors may consider it is worth seeing what he can do at the next level.
“I think that’s probably No.1 [quickest] I’ve faced in my Shield career,” Kurtis Patterson, the New South Wales captain, said earlier this season. “He was fast and it was No.1 in terms of absolutely consistent pace.”
Australia’s chairman of selectors George Bailey said it was a good opportunity to get Morris into the squad.
“He has genuine pace and his ability to create opportunities for wickets is a real draw card,” Bailey said. “It will be great experience for him to come into the environment.”
Morris also gave the Indians a working over during a T20 World Cup match in Perth earlier in the summer.
“The more I bowl, the more I feel like I’m really grasping what being a fast bowler is all about,” he said. “Hopefully I can keep getting better and continue to bowl fast because it’s a lot of fun.”
Neser played his one and only Test match to-date in last year’s Adelaide day-night Test when Cummins was ruled out with Covid.
“Michael has been with the squad on a regular basis in the past seasons and was simply outstanding in Adelaide last summer,” Bailey said. “He has continued to perform consistently and will be warmly welcomed back.”
Squad David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Michael Neser, Lance Morris, Marcus Harris