Rookie is doing fine for openers

ONLINE polls yesterday compared Marcus Harris with Chris Rogers, David Warner and Justin Langer.

And the verdict was split. Langer came out just in front but perhaps the readers got it right – he’s a little bit of all three. Harris displayed some of Warner’s fearlessness, Langer’s grit and Rogers’ technical poise in an innings that will surely grow in stature as the match progresses.

Batting was made to look easy by the way Harris got himself out of the blocks, but the difficulties of this new Perth pitch became bleedingly obvious by the time Harris was finally out for 70 off an almost unplayable delivery.

Harris has joked that his name could be “Marcus David Langer Rogers” for all his similarities to some of Australia’s most recent and successful Test openers. The 26-year-old is trying to carve his own path and yesterday’s assured 70 off 141 balls suggests he will give himself every chance of making a name for himself.

“He’s got a really good understanding of his game and I thought the way he played showed great discipline today,” Test great Brad Haddin said on Fox Cricket.