How Marcus Harris made himself a Test cricketer

Victorian opener Marcus Harris looks set to debut in the Tests against India after being named in Australia’s 14-man squad for the series opener in Adelaide.

Harris appears likely to partner Aaron Finch at the top, with Usman Khawaja sliding down to three, both Marsh brothers in the top six, and Travis Head and Peter Handscomb competing for a middle order berth.

Left hander Harris has been rewarded for his consistency over the past three Sheffield Shield seasons, during which he’s piled up 1,951 runs at 48, including five tons.

The 26-year-old has had a topsy-turvy career since becoming the youngest Australian in history to make a first-class 150 more than eight years ago.

In that knock the 18-year-old outshone high-profile WA teammates Mike Hussey, Adam Voges and Marcus North as he occupied the crease for a whopping 475 minutes.

At that stage Harris looked like a prodigy who would play for Australia sooner rather than later. But the remainder of his tenure at WA was marred by inconsistency.

So much so that then Warriors coach and now Australian coach Justin Langer described his time with WA as “mediocre with flashes of brilliance”.

Langer made those comments in April of 2016 after Harris shifted to Victoria. That move to the MCG has been the making of Harris, who ever since has shown the kind of reliability Langer had yearned for him to display in Perth.

In his first Shield innings for Victoria, Harris made a double of 115 and 77 against a strong Tasmania attack featuring Jackson Bird, James Faulkner, Cameron Boyce and Andrew Fekete. He finished that season as the fourth-highest runscorer in the Shield with 808 runs at 42, and backed that up with 706 runs at 41 the next summer.

Marcus Harris is set to make his Test debut for Australia. (Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Neither season was quite dominant enough to earn him frequent mentions in the media as a Test contender. But then the ball tampering scandal happened, three batting spots opened up in Australia’s batting order and the first four rounds of this Shield season became a high-profile bat-off between all comers.

So often in these scenarios it takes just one stunning Shield knock to vault a batsman to the head of the pack. Last summer it was Cameron Bancroft’s 228* against South Australia which secured him a Test debut. The previous season Peter Handscomb earned a Test cap on the back of his 215 against NSW.

Harris followed this tried and tested path this month by cracking 250* against NSW. That knock thrust Harris from relative obscurity into the public spotlight.

His next four scores were 65, 7, 22 and 67 but, realistically, it was that giant double ton which bought Harris an expected Test debut in Adelaide in 13 days from now.

That colossal innings showcased the best of Harris – his elegant driving, swift feet against spin, ability to punish width, and his organised footwork. The last of these skills is the one upon which Harris most needed to improve after his failed time with WA.

In his six seasons with the Warriors his footwork was leaden and he relied too heavily on hand-eye coordination. All too often he would be dismissed caught behind slashing at a ball outside off stump with his feet rooted to the crease.

While gifted batsmen can get away with such a technical shortcoming at lower levels it is ruthlessly exploited by the most accurate first-class quicks.

During his time in Victoria he has gradually improved upon this issue, to the point that his footwork has been impressive this year, particularly when driving through the off side.

When he’s played this shot his front foot typically has landed near the pitch of the ball and his head has followed. This technical improvement has powered Harris’ resurgence – driving is the bedrock of his game.

The challenge now for Harris is whether he can maintain his shape amid the intensity of Test cricket. There is evidence to suggest Harris handles pressure well – he has a sensational record in Sheffield Shield finals, with 380 runs at 95 from three matches, including two centuries.

Harris was joined in the Australian squad by Victorian teammate Chris Tremain, who also was rewarded for continued excellence in the Shield. While Tremain won’t play in the first Test unless there is an injury to one of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, it is heartening to see him gaining belated recognition from the selectors.

Tremain has grabbed 166 wickets at 20 in first-class cricket over the past three years. If a spot opens up in Australia’s Test attack he deserves to be the next man in.

His Victorian colleague Harris won’t have to wait, it seems, and should get the chance to prove he can make the most of the enormous talent he showed as a teenager.