Who is Aussie Test bolter Marcus Harris? He’s a rising star once labelled ‘mediocre’ by Justin Langer
Marcus Harris has earned a stunning Test call-up for the first Test against India, but just who is the determined opener tasked with saving Australia’s batting? And what’s with his Justin Langer beef?
Evidently the flashes of brilliance — and a large dash of consistency — have overcome the general feeling of mediocrity.
Victorian opener Marcus Harris could’ve been forgiven for letting his head drop when his old coach Justin Langer was installed as the new leader of the Test team earlier this year.
The Test aspirant has history with Langer — and not all of it is positive.
The two worked together at Western Australia where Langer was coach and Harris was a highly rated talent coming through the ranks. But it all went up in flames when Harris announced he was heading east to play for Victoria.
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He was given a parting swipe by Langer, who labelled the impressive youngster “mediocre” with “flashes of brilliance” — before adding a prophetic hope that Harris “can one day play for Australia”.
If it was a pointed comment to light a fire under Harris, it’s done the trick with the 26-year-old realising his potential and, now, jagging that elusive baggy green — and in the process, mending the odd bridge with Langer who identified the 26-year-old as his big bolter ahead of a huge Test series against India.
BACKGROUND
Harris debuted in 2011 as a diminutive 18-year-old thrust into a Western Australian side boasting the veteran heads of Marcus North and Adam Voges.
It didn’t take long for the young left-hander to make his mark on the Sheffield Shield.
In just his third first-class match he plundered 157 against Queensland, breaking a 115-year record as the youngest Australian to score a first-class 150.
Instantly he went into the little black book of cricket fans around the country who earmarked him as a player of the future.
However lean summers followed.
Outside of that stunning century Harris scored just one half-century in his first two seasons, and season averages of 25 and 20 followed in 2012-13, and 2013-14.
Harris enjoyed a resurgence in 2014-15, earning man-of-the-match honours in the Shield final with a then-career-best unbeaten 158.
But after another down year, he was on the way out — with Langer not mincing his words about the exit of a player who promised much, but didn’t deliver regularly.
“His performances have been mediocre with flashes of brilliance,” Langer said
“Marcus played more than 40 matches for WA and scored just four centuries.
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“That must be frustrating for him, as it is for the coaches and fans.
“I respect the fact that our program is not for everyone and he leaves with our best wishes and the hope that he can one day play for Australia.”
By the time he left, Harris had a middling first-class return of 2138 runs at an average of 28.89. Hardly the numbers of a Test candidate.
CAREER REVIVAL
The move east ahead of the 2016-17 season proved an immediate masterstroke.
In six seasons in Perth, Harris never averaged more than 36.53 in a summer and only twice rose above 30.2 — and never had a summer in which he nailed two centuries.
For Victoria, under rising coach Andrew McDonald, he knocked over twin centuries in his maiden summer and finished with an average of 42.52 — before proving it was no fluke with a near identical season to follow, notching two more centuries, another four half-centuries and a return of 706 runs at 41.52.
Showing he’s a man for the moment, he scored a second Shield final century — a season-high 120 against South Australia — as he helped spearhead the Bushrangers’ hat-trick of titles.
Harris’ star was well and truly on the rise, and with a Test team in flux he had a baggy green in his sights.
FORM
While Harris’ record was immediately boosted by his Victorian move, he stepped it up another notch with the lure of a Test spot on the table.
Through four rounds he has plundered a monster double century and two half-centuries to have 437 runs at an average of 87.40.
It was his stunning, unbeaten 250 against NSW that truly grabbed the attention of fans around the country.
Perhaps even more importantly, it caught the eye of two very important people with Harris receiving warm messages of congratulations from national selector Trevor Hohns and his old sparring partner Langer.
“He’s ready,” McDonald declared this week.
“He scores runs quickly, generally speaking. He played an innings of 250 earlier in the season, which was sizeable, where he showed a lot more patience. So that was the moment where some people out there may have said the penny may start to be dropping.
“We’ve seen him play some patient innings. But one of his traits is that against quality fast bowling he can score and put them under extreme pressure.”
STYLE
A compact left-handed opener, Harris has shown the ability to bat for long periods this summer — a trait which is imperative for an Australian outfit prone to batting collapses.
But more than just being a grafter, Harris has plenty of counterpunching ability.
Former coach Darren Lehmann described him as the competition’s form player, likening his style to that of Langer.
Langer, too, was seen as a grafter (albeit one with a glorious cover drive) and he walked away from Test cricket with 7696 runs and 23 centuries.
But Lehmann sees similarities between the pair.
“He’s the in-form player in the competition, his record has been outstanding in the last couple of years, he’s made a couple of Shield hundreds in finals,” Lehmann told Macquarie Sports Radio.
“If we’re going to do it (debut Harris) there’s not a better place to do it than in Australia.
“Yes (India) are a good attack but I think he’s good enough to play. He made 150 on debut when I was coaching Queensland, I thought this kid is very much in the mould of Justin Langer with probably a few more expansive shots.”
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