The call that shows Marcus Harris is still firmly in Test opener’s race

Marcus Harris has been earmarked to open the batting in both the upcoming Australia A games, in a clear sign he remains firmly in the Test frame despite the rise of young guns Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney.

The Victoria left-hander had become the forgotten man in the race to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order, but he will get first crack at showcasing his credentials this week when he opens with another Test discard, Cameron Bancroft, against India A in Mackay.

NSW batting sensation Konstas is expected to open with Harris for the second Australia A game in Melbourne next week, according to multiple industry sources with knowledge of the matter but who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Harris started the Shield season with a bang, posting 143 and 52, but Konstas’s twin hundreds for NSW and McSweeney’s impressive form in first-class and 50-over cricket have dominated public discussions. Bancroft has endured a wretched start to the season with scores of zero, zero, eight and two.

That Harris is slated to open in both games for Australia A is an indication not only that he is still held in high regard by the selection panel but may also have the inside running to take the berth vacated by Steve Smith, who will shift back to his customary spot at No.4.

Selectors will wait until after the second Australia A game to finalise their squad for the first Test against India in Perth, coach Andrew McDonald told the ABC over the weekend.

Marcus Harris is expected to open in both games for Australia A.Credit: The Age

Harris has been considered the next man in for much of George Bailey and Pat Cummins’ reign as head selector and captain, only to be left out of the squad to tour New Zealand earlier this year.

Though Harris’s average of 25 after 14 games is modest, he has shown a capacity to graft for runs in difficult conditions, as seen in his 76 against England on a seam-friendly track in the 2021 Boxing Day Test and two half-centuries in his debut series against India in 2018/19.

Though there have been calls to regenerate the Test team, McDonald said selectors would pick the side with the here and now in mind.

Cummins said he would have no reservations throwing 19-year-old Konstas in against India for a Test debut, drawing on his own experience as a teenager breaking onto the international stage.

NSW’s Sam Konstas is set to get his chance in the second Australia A match..Credit: Getty Images

Konstas made a name for himself earlier this month with back-to-back centuries for NSW in the Sheffield Shield but will face his biggest examination yet this week against India A in Mackay.

Cummins, who debuted as an 18-year-old against South Africa in 2011, spent time with Konstas last week during a NSW and Victoria one-day match in Melbourne and said he had been impressed by the right-hander’s ability. He echoed McDonald’s belief that a youngster shouldn’t be held back if he’s ready.

“Andrew is [of] the same [opinion]; if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” Cummins told this masthead at an event in Sydney on Tuesday to launch his new book Tested.

“I hadn’t worked a lot with Sam before he was down there in Melbourne … a great young guy. I really enjoyed spending some time with him down there.

Pat Cummins celebrates dismissing South Africa's Vernon Philander during his debut in 2011.Credit: AP

“The benefits of being super young is you do have that naivety. You don’t have the baggage that comes with, you know, a long career sometimes.”

Cummins was plucked from relative obscurity in 2011 after a decent Big Bash season and found himself in a Test team featuring the likes of Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey.

“I took a lot of inspiration when I was young that these senior players or coaches or selectors actually backed me in,” Cummins said. “Even before I thought I was good enough, they’d kind of said, ‘No, we think you are’.

“When they were telling me something or giving me advice, I felt like I was 10 feet tall. I think the most important thing is someone’s scoring runs and feels good about the game. Whether you’re 19, 29, 39 or 49, I think if you’re good enough, there’s always a place in the side for you.”

Cummins will build up his bowling loads next week when Australia take on Pakistan in three one-day international fixtures, starting on Monday at the MCG.

With a blockbuster five-Test summer against India on the horizon, Cummins says his body feels great and described it as a “perfect” preparation.

“I feel great. It’s worked out as good as it can,” Cummins said. “I’ve had no hiccups and been able to build up slowly for the summer … which is not always the case.”

Asked if India were vulnerable this summer after back-to-back defeats to New Zealand on home soil, Cummins played a straight bat.

“New Zealand got the job done. It’s always a nice thing to see when we’re going to play India in a couple of weeks,” Cummins said.

“Very different conditions. I wouldn’t be surprised if the make-up of the sides is a little bit different. So you can never read into that too much. ”

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