Dubai Telegraph - Harris thrusts himself into pole position in Australia 'bat-off'

EUR -
AED 3.960396
AFN 73.447869
ALL 98.17705
AMD 416.219845
ANG 1.938152
AOA 983.904305
ARS 1071.534094
AUD 1.620622
AWG 1.943543
AZN 1.828548
BAM 1.954963
BBD 2.17135
BDT 128.51497
BGN 1.955721
BHD 0.406484
BIF 3174.711149
BMD 1.078248
BND 1.426776
BOB 7.457807
BRL 6.13804
BSD 1.07543
BTN 90.742723
BWP 14.358718
BYN 3.51946
BYR 21133.666586
BZD 2.167752
CAD 1.496713
CDF 3089.181143
CHF 0.941332
CLF 0.037423
CLP 1032.616997
CNY 7.708505
CNH 7.676368
COP 4661.536942
CRC 549.459626
CUC 1.078248
CUP 28.57358
CVE 110.218827
CZK 25.253439
DJF 191.506221
DKK 7.457057
DOP 64.651717
DZD 143.947272
EGP 53.160985
ERN 16.173724
ETB 132.385085
FJD 2.440011
FKP 0.825042
GBP 0.831173
GEL 2.938257
GGP 0.825042
GHS 17.637611
GIP 0.825042
GMD 77.068855
GNF 9271.943772
GTQ 8.299408
GYD 224.995744
HKD 8.378259
HNL 27.131131
HRK 7.428085
HTG 141.478107
HUF 404.968176
IDR 16897.390771
ILS 4.017607
IMP 0.825042
INR 90.972401
IQD 1408.809815
IRR 45399.6443
ISK 148.302352
JEP 0.825042
JMD 170.195544
JOD 0.764806
JPY 164.759541
KES 138.727729
KGS 92.950329
KHR 4369.088641
KMF 491.627059
KPW 970.423222
KRW 1493.799764
KWD 0.330602
KYD 0.896225
KZT 528.618549
LAK 23604.673586
LBP 96660.403031
LKR 314.672339
LRD 204.331558
LSL 18.799376
LTL 3.183787
LVL 0.652221
LYD 5.21072
MAD 10.635646
MDL 19.287562
MGA 4959.830207
MKD 61.533191
MMK 3502.108403
MNT 3663.887737
MOP 8.609593
MRU 42.845256
MUR 50.031815
MVR 16.615522
MWK 1864.784207
MXN 21.377245
MYR 4.724128
MZN 68.905423
NAD 18.799724
NGN 1813.106578
NIO 39.572688
NOK 11.738328
NPR 145.187484
NZD 1.794162
OMR 0.41514
PAB 1.075439
PEN 4.064897
PGK 4.316112
PHP 62.983178
PKR 298.888744
PLN 4.313508
PYG 8347.348258
QAR 3.919658
RON 4.975575
RSD 116.980678
RUB 105.665953
RWF 1473.855228
SAR 4.050156
SBD 9.00103
SCR 15.141832
SDG 648.552853
SEK 11.547134
SGD 1.425339
SHP 0.825042
SLE 24.573024
SLL 22610.324177
SOS 614.631115
SRD 37.690105
STD 22317.562736
SVC 9.409927
SYP 2709.131478
SZL 18.793778
THB 36.700879
TJS 11.431852
TMT 3.773869
TND 3.346651
TOP 2.525369
TRY 37.061118
TTD 7.294809
TWD 34.574568
TZS 2900.48807
UAH 44.46095
UGX 3947.346359
USD 1.078248
UYU 44.710648
UZS 13775.229217
VEF 3906011.094509
VES 47.583895
VND 27283.994862
VUV 128.011836
WST 3.020372
XAF 655.670162
XAG 0.031965
XAU 0.000396
XCD 2.91402
XDR 0.806347
XOF 655.670162
XPF 119.331742
YER 269.400021
ZAR 18.712298
ZMK 9705.514146
ZMW 29.14425
ZWL 347.195511
  • NGG

    0.1800

    64.3

    +0.28%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0500

    7.16

    -0.7%

  • SCS

    0.0200

    13.08

    +0.15%

  • RELX

    -0.0500

    47.66

    -0.1%

  • CMSC

    0.1700

    24.68

    +0.69%

  • GSK

    0.7600

    36.66

    +2.07%

  • RBGPF

    0.0100

    61.4

    +0.02%

  • AZN

    0.8400

    64.69

    +1.3%

  • RIO

    2.1400

    67.47

    +3.17%

  • BTI

    -0.2400

    35.4

    -0.68%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.32

    +0.11%

  • BCE

    -0.6700

    28.07

    -2.39%

  • CMSD

    0.0400

    24.89

    +0.16%

  • JRI

    0.1200

    13.37

    +0.9%

  • BP

    0.1300

    30.29

    +0.43%

  • BCC

    -0.9100

    140.85

    -0.65%

Harris thrusts himself into pole position in Australia 'bat-off'
Harris thrusts himself into pole position in Australia 'bat-off' / Photo: William WEST - AFP

Harris thrusts himself into pole position in Australia 'bat-off'

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.

Text size:

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.

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.

Z.W.Varughese--DT