Dropped catch at Headingley

Australian opener Marcus Harris is having trouble putting his critical Headingley drop in the third Ashes test out of his mind.

Already under pressure to keep his spot for the Old Trafford test after scores of 8 and 19, Harris dropped eventual match-winner Ben Stokes on 116.

Harris made good ground at third man and latched onto the ball before it squirted out of his hands as he hit the ground.

It proved a costly error, among Nathan Lyon’s run-out chance fumble and Tim Paine’s frivolous leg-side review, as Stokes led England to an incredible one-wicket win to tie the series at 1-1.

Harris admits his thoughts have inadvertently drifted back to his potentially seriesdefining moment in the deep over the past few days.

‘‘I’ve been trying not to think about it,’’ Harris told RSN radio yesterday.

‘‘But when you do that you tend to think about it more. So I’ve thought about it a little bit. When you put things into perspective, you’re playing cricket for your country and you’re involved in an unbelievable test match. It could be worse.’’

Harris had a premonition a catch was coming and was ready to spring into action, but just couldn’t hang on.

‘‘I sort of felt like just with the way the game was going that we were always going to get an opportunity so we were all on our toes and ready to try and take one,’’ he said.

‘‘I actually saw it all right and it went straight in my hand, and I couldn’t have got it any better, but as soon as I hit the ground it just exploded out.’’

Harris could be the unlucky batsman to make way for the returning Steve Smith (concussion) after replacement Marnus Labuschagne fashioned three 50s on the trot.

The 27-year-old Harris knows he could be the odd man out for Manchester if he doesn’t find runs in Australia’s three-day tour match against Derbyshire, starting today.

‘‘There’s going to be someone who has to make room somewhere,’’ he said.

‘‘So I assume this game in Derby this week might have a bit on it.’’