Ryan Harris: That's what you get for snubbing the Gabba

Former Test quick Ryan Harris says Australia have paid the price for moving the season opener away from traditional home fortress Brisbane.

The plan to move the first Test against South Africa to Perth backfired when Australia suffered a 177-run defeat.

Instead of braving a juicy Gabba deck, South Africa’s batsmen plundered a total of almost 800 runs at the WACA.

It marked the first time Australia had lost the summer’s opening Test in 26 years.

Australia are under pressure to perform in the second Test in Hobart starting on Saturday after slumping to their fourth straight loss.

“It’s very unusual. It’s foreign ground for us – we haven’t done it for a long time,” Harris said of Australia’s horror start to the series.

“That’s what happens when you move away from the Gabba, where we have had so much success, which they probably shouldn’t have done in the first place.”

Harris doesn’t want to see selectors make the same mistake and make major changes before the second Test.

Some will be forced.

Opener Shaun Marsh (finger) and seamer Peter Siddle (back) are already ruled out.

Batsmen Joe Burns and Callum Ferguson have flown to Hobart with Marsh out and a question mark over Adam Voges (hamstring).

Tasmanian quick Jackson Bird is on standby as cover with Siddle out but South Australia’s Joe Mennie is expected to make his Test debut in Hobart.

“They let themselves down with the bat (in Perth) and as per usual everyone (in the media) panics,” Harris said.

“The main thing is to keep stability in any side.

“You hear that you should drop that bloke or inject a new face. We don’t need that.

“There is no need to panic. I am sure we will bounce back.”