HARRIS HIGH ON CONFIDENCE NOW
Opener has backing of his coach
VALIDATION from coach Justin Langer that he had been facing bowling of the highest quality in Perth gave rookie Test opener Marcus Harris a big tick in the confidence column for his Boxing Day debut. Returning to the MCG, the ground where he made the unbeaten 250 for Victoria which launched him into the national side, is a big tick too.
Harris has been calling himself a “West Victorian” this week to appease those from his state of origin in the Test squad and those from his new home, where he feels so comfortable.
His security in the team came after a solid debut in Adelaide, then a maiden half-century on the wild wicket in Perth as the four Indian fast bowlers produced some epic spells.
It was enduring it, watching it and then confirming with Langer that it was bowling of the utmost quality which confirmed in Harris’ young mind his game did indeed “stack up” at Test level.
“I’d never played Test cricket before, so I wasn’t sure if that was normal Test bowling,” Harris said after seeing the speed and precision from the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami in particular.
“I went to the ground with JL (Langer) on day five and I said to him, “this bowling is unbelievable, is this normal?” He said it wasn’t, he said it was as good as it gets.
“I took great confidence from my first two innings in Adelaide. But, as a human being, you have doubt, if you go
‘‘ YOU DON’T KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO FIT IN, IF YOU’LL BE ABLE TO STAND UP TO WHAT COMES. — MARCUS HARRIS
to a new job, or a new place, go to a higher level, you don’t know if you are going to fit in, if you’ll be able to stand up to what comes.
“We batted on a green wicket in Perth on day one, it was tricky, and I felt like my game stacked up.”
The deeds of Bumrah in particular who took 3-39 in the second innings in Perth, but also beat the Australian bats 29 times in his 25 overs, put Harris on high alert for Boxing Day.
“India aren’t known for having a lot of frontline pace bowlers, so to have four that are relentless at you, putting you under the pump all the time, it was an experience,” Harris said.
“And Bumrah, you don’t face many blokes off five steps who bowl about 150km/h and don’t bowl a bad ball. It’s been a great challenge, but very satisfying too when you can still find a way to perform.”
With 142 Test runs now in the bag, and a first 50, Harris knows he has to take the next step, and make 100.
It’s a position he didn’t think he’d be in six weeks ago, but having survived, and thrived, Harris knows he has the right stuff to make it as a Test batsman.
“At the start of the summer if you told me I was going to be playing in the Boxing Day Test, I would have told you to bugger off. It’s pretty special,” he said.
“I am trying to take it all in my stride, and you take the good with the bad, but we are trying to win games for Australia.”