Selectors mull Test XI
MARCUS Harris has missed a golden chance to demand Test selection but another half-century leaves the opener at the forefront of a scramble for spots.
The panel, chaired by Trevor Hohns, is expected to meet later this week as it pieces together a team to face India in the four-Test series opener that starts on December 6.
The final chance for Test aspirants to impress came in Hobart yesterday, when Harris scored 67 to help Victoria complete a sixwicket victory.
An unbeaten century may have made his case irresistible. Another eight runs would have lifted him into top spot of the Shield run-scoring table ahead of Alex Doolan, who has compiled 444 runs at 55.5.
But there is no doubt Harris, who scored 250 not out last month at the MCG and averages 87.4 after four Shield rounds, is on selectors’ radar.
“Hopefully with the form he’s in, he can get picked and showcase what he can do on the world stage,” Victoria captain Peter Handscomb said.
“He’s been pushing his case now for a few years.”
A baggy green for Harris would complete a remarkable transformation from the 26-year-old, who has developed immensely since shunning Justin Langer’s mentorship at Western Australia to seek a fresh start with Victoria.
“His performances have been mediocre with flashes of brilliance,” former WA coach Langer said when Harris departed in 2016.
The pair have since dismissed any talk of bad blood. Langer, now the national coach, sent a congratulatory text message to Harris after last month’s MCG masterclass.
If selectors stick with Aaron Finch and Travis Head, there will only be one spot up for grabs, presuming Marnus Labuschagne is axed.
Incumbents Shaun Marsh and Mitch Marsh have found form while Usman Khawaja is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a knee injury.
Harris, Doolan, Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Joe Burns, Matthew Renshaw and Jake Lehmann have all been floated as candidates.
Tasmania skipper George Bailey suggested Doolan was in career-best form, also declaring Wade’s 412 runs at 82.4 should ensure the former Test keeper was in the mix to return as a batsman.