Marcus Harris, who last played for Australia in 2021, has not been included in the squad despite consistently strong performances in domestic cricket. He has been overlooked many times in recent years as spots in the Test team have been filled. Currently, Australia is searching for a suitable opener to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order. Harris is once again making a case for his selection as Australia is set to announce the squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) Finals against South Africa.
Marcus Harris Consistent run in County Championship
Recently, Harris scored a century in the County Championship while playing for Lancashire, making a commendable 121 runs against Northamptonshire at the Northamptonshire County Ground. His century in the first innings contributed to Lancashire's lead in the match, although they ultimately lost. Notably, Harris added another 43 runs in the second innings, but his team's efforts were insufficient.
Overall, Marcus Harris has scored three centuries in the tournament and currently leads the runs chart in Division Two of County Cricket. His consistent performance in English conditions is something the Australian selectors are likely to consider, adding him to their list of options.
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Marcus Harris in Test Cricket
- Matches - 14
- Runs - 607
- Average - 25.9
- 50/100 - 3/0
- Best Score - 73
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Since David Warner’s retirement, Australia has tried various opening combinations. Usman Khawaja opened with Nathan McSweeney during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, but McSweeney struggled to make an impact. Subsequently, young talent Sam Konstas was added to the team and showed promise in his outing against India, earning a central contract. He may now be a candidate to open alongside Khawaja for the finals.
Travis Head is also a possibility; however, he seems to have established himself in the number five position within the Australian lineup. Even during the recent tour of Sri Lanka, he initially opened but returned to the number five spot, where he has a strong batting average in Test cricket. Additionally, some reports suggest that Marnus Labuschagne could open the batting ahead of Sam Konstas in the finals.
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As we await the official confirmation from Cricket Australia, fans will soon know who will open the batting alongside veteran Usman Khawaja in the WTC Finals at Lord's
Also Read: BCCI Submits Formal Bid to ICC to Host WTC 2027 Final in India
