National selectors will soon reveal Australia’s squad for the first two Tests against India, with Marcus Harris expected to debut in Adelaide.
Marcus Harris’s weight of runs in recent seasons is expected to be rewarded when the squad for Australia’s first two Tests against India is named.
Harris has been in the box seat to make his Test debut on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval since scoring an unbeaten 250 in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield match against NSW last month.
But the opener has been a consistent Shield performer since shifting from Western Australia to Victoria in 2016, scoring 1951 runs at 47.58.
Harris famously shunned the mentorship of Justin Langer when he left Perth.
“His performances have been mediocre with flashes of brilliance … I respect the fact that our program is not for everyone,” Langer, then WA coach, said at the time.
Selectors will unveil Australia’s squad on Thursday, having met on Wednesday.
The expected selection of Harris is set to come at the expense of Marnus Labuschagne in a reshuffled batting order.
Aaron Finch, Travis Head and Labuschagne, who all made their Test debuts last month in the UAE, have all struggled to put a big score on the board since returning home.
But no contender apart from Harris was able to put their hand up with a mammoth score during the opening four Shield rounds.
That is expected to count in the favour of Finch, who hasn’t played a first-class game since the second Test against Pakistan, and Head, who may have saved his spot with a recent knock of 87 for South Australia.
News Corp Australia is reporting Peter Handscomb will be named in an extended 13-man squad, providing selectors cover for fit-again batsman Usman Khawaja, and that Chris Tremain will be the reserve paceman.
Alex Doolan and Matthew Wade, who sit first and third on the Shield run-scoring table, could count themselves somewhat unlucky if that is the case but Handscomb toured India with Australia A earlier this year and has worked hard to tweak his technique.
Khawaja will return from a knee injury in Queensland’s Shield clash with Victoria next week.
He is one of the contenders to open the batting against India, having done the job superbly against Pakistan last month.
Tim Paine may be tempted to return the star batsman to his normal spot at No.3.
Shaun Marsh is another option to open if Australia aren’t keen on the raw pairing of Finch and Harris.
Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood (vc), Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh (vc), Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (c,wk), Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain, Peter Siddle
© AAP
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