Boxing Day Test: Joe Burns tells Marcus Harris not to doubt himself as he prepares for MCG cauldron

When Joe Burns was in the depths of his own wretched run last summer, he was oblivious to the intense spotlight - and he reckons Marcus Harris will be in the same mindset tomorrow at the MCG.

Joe Burns was oblivious to the intense spotlight surrounding his Test career 12 months ago and he suspects Marcus Harris will walk on to the MCG on Boxing Day with the same blissful ignorance.

“Looking back in hindsight, I actually didn’t realise the amount of media attention that’s on a player,” Burns told News Corp.

“You don’t see any media and you don’t follow any media – you’re very busy when you’re in the Test team.

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Joe Burns has told Marcus Harris to not doubt himself at the MCG.

“Whether it be Cricket Australia commitments, training commitments or personal commitments at this time of year with family, you don’t really get a chance to sit down and think too much about it.

“We play so much cricket that you just focus on your next training session or your next game.

“I think Harry will be exactly the same. I don’t think he’ll have time to really doubt himself.

“You don’t get to international cricket by doubting yourself and second-guessing yourself.”

Burns — Melbourne Stars’ prized Big Bash recruit — made a duck and four against India at the MCG and was cut from the Test squad before New Year’s Eve.

Two years before that and Harris’s teammate, Aaron Finch, made eight and three at the ‘G and was never seen at Test level again.

Harris enters his adopted home Test match averaging 12.7 runs this Ashes as the only member of Australia’s top five without a half-century.

Australia ticks off its century-makers on its whiteboard of batting markers and so far Travis Head (152) and Marnus Labuschagne (103) have been inked, with David Warner (94 and 95) and Steve Smith (93) agonisingly close.

Harris is still searching for that tick after 12 Tests.

Joe Burns had a wretched run against India last summer.

The little fella averages 10 against right-arm seamers bowling around the wicket with Stuart Broad dismissing him twice in Adelaide.

“All of our left-handers have worked hard on trying to combat this technique,” Australia batting coach Michael Di Venuto said.

“The English bowlers employ this tactic with great skill, especially in their home conditions and with the Duke ball.

“It’s a bit different in Australia, but certainly still a threat for all our left-handers – especially with the new ball.”

Veteran Usman Khawaja is on standby this Ashes while selectors still have eyes for Matthew Renshaw, who is currently in Queensland’s middle order.

Young openers Henry Hunt and Bryce Street are motoring towards contention while Will Pucovski has returned to the nets after three months out with his 10th concussion.

But the Aussies are all-in on Harris. At least for this Test.

“Their games (Harris and Cameron Green) look in good order at training but are yet to transfer that into big runs,” Di Venuto said.

“But we saw some good signs with both of them in the second innings in Adelaide.”

Harris has yet to hit three figures in 12 Tests.

Coach Justin Langer said: “What we see in the nets, what we see in domestic cricket all adds up to what potentially is a very good Test career”.

England has fumbled through 21 openers since Andrew Strauss retired in 2012 and Australia is desperate for Harris and Warner to work.

Burns said that belief from within was critical.

“It’s what JL and (chairman of selectors) George Bailey have done really well. I look back last year I was really thankful for the support they gave me when I was in a rut,” Burns said.

“I wasn’t making any runs, but I never felt under pressure or like anyone doubted me so I’m hoping Harry feels the same way.

“I’m really happy they gave him time – opening the batting is not easy. JL and George know that.

“That’s why I think the team is going so well, because it’s OK to miss out.

“There’s going to be guys not making runs at different times of the year. The worst thing you can do in those moments is panic and put pressure on the players.

“I’m sure Harry’s going to have success.

Aussie selectors are hoping the Harris-Warner partnership can succeed.

“He’s dominated domestic cricket, he’s back at the MCG and he’s in his home state.”

This is the bloke who punched out 157 as an 18-year-old in his third first-class game, breaking a 115-year record as he became the youngest Aussie to score 150.

Harris and Langer are both small southpaws from Scarborough and Langer loves his sense of humour.

Harris had just returned from puppy school with his French bulldog Archie when he was told he had made his first Test squad.

“Welcome to the brotherhood, you little bastard,” Langer texted him.

From the outside it feels like batting with Warner could be intimidating.

Renshaw once looked up at the SCG scoreboard and saw Australia 0-40 – Warner 38 off 23 and the Queenslander on one.

But Burns said Warner’s superhuman strike-rate never crossed his mind.

“I’ve always found it really easy with Davey,” he said.

Joe Burns insists David Warner’s lightning scoring speed never worried him.

“Generally speaking he’s going very quick, but the thing Davey does really well is communicate with his partner, so you never feel like you’re out there by yourself.

“It’s always a partnership working together, which makes it probably 50 per cent easier – because there’s two of you working together as opposed to working by yourself.

“You still see it every ball he’ll be walking down communicating and making sure you know he’s right with you.

“I think that’s one of his really strong qualities, the connection he’s always been able to build with his opening partner.”

What was running through Harris’s head as he tucked into turkey on Christmas Day? Burns said it would be foolish to hazard a guess.

“What I learnt last year is a lot of people will make an assumption as to how you’re feeling based on how they’d be feeling in the same situation,” he said.

“At the end of the day you’re the opening batter for Australia and an elite-level professional for a reason.

“You’ve developed a resilience and a toughness through years of doing it that it becomes second nature.

“That’s similar across all professions or even artists and musicians.

“There’s like a stubbornness in the way they go about it and that’s what makes them world-class.”

Originally published as Boxing Day Test: Joe Burns tells Marcus Harris not to doubt himself as he prepares for MCG cauldron