MELBOURNE: Marcus Harris hit a patient and timely 74 against India ‘A’ on Friday to thrust himself into prime contention to open for Australia in the first of five Tests against the tourists this month.

The diminutive 32-year-old steered Australia ‘A’ to 223 in reply to India A’s 161 on day two of their four-day match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground — seen as a bat-off for the Test spot left vacant by David Warner’s retirement.

“Externally, obviously this game was getting built up a lot, which is fair enough,” Harris said. “I feel like I’ve been batting well, but so have lots of people.

“If I get called upon, I feel like I’m ready to go — and if I don’t, then so be it.”

At the close India ‘A’ led by just 11 runs with five wickets remaining in their second innings.

Since Warner quit this year, no firm contender has emerged to replace him as Usman Khawaja’s opening partner for the blockbuster series starting in Perth on November 22.

While Steve Smith initially stepped up, he failed to shine and will revert to his usual number four, behind Marnus Labuschagne.

Four players were given a chance to state their case in two Australia ‘A’ v India ‘A’ red-ball clashes — Harris, Nathan McSweeney, Cameron Bancroft and Sam Konstas.

The 19-year-old Konstas put himself in the picture with back-to-back Sheffield Shield centuries for New South Wales this season which saw him hailed as Australia’s next big thing.

But the teenager has flopped in both Australia ‘A’ matches, denting his chances.

He managed just 16 and then nought when opening in the first match at Mackay in northern Queensland last week, then scored three in the first innings at Melbourne.

The hopes of Bancroft, who played the last of his 10 Tests against England in 2019, also appear to be on thin ice after an equally dismal performance with scores of 0, 16 and 3.

McSweeney’s 39 and an unbeaten 88 coming in at number four in Mackay rocketed him into the reckoning, but he fell softly for 14 when promoted to opener in Melbourne.

That opened the door for Harris, who added to the 17 and 36 he made in Mackay with a 138-ball knock that included five boundaries before impressive quick Prasidh Krishna found an outside edge.

Left-hander Harris made his Test debut in 2018 and has won 14 caps, but struggled to translate his stellar first-class form to the Test arena.

He averages just 25.29 with a high score of 79.

Australia are set to name their Test squad next week, with the starting XI settled apart from Khawaja’s partner.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2024