Test opener Marcus Harris out to cement his Ashes spot

The return of David Warner and Steve Smith has intensified the fight for baggy green caps but incumbent Test opener Marcus Harris hopes he’s done enough to secure a coveted Ashes berth.

Marcus Harris ahead of an Australian training session at Manuka. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Test opener Marcus Harris is confident he’s done as much as he can to keep his spot ahead of a trip to England which could determine the Ashes fate of several batsmen.

The return of David Warner and Steve Smith has intensified the fight for Test spots, especially at the top of the order where Harris bats.

He has just returned from a spirited Australia A camp in Brisbane last week and will head to England next Monday for three four-day games that will shape the Ashes squad.

The left-hander played all six Tests during the Australian summer and was his team’s leading scorer in the 2-1 loss to India.

He then finished the domestic season with a bang, making 141 in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield final victory to top the competition’s run scoring list with 1118.

Harris opted against playing county cricket in England to further his Ashes ambitions, choosing a long rest after a breakthrough summer.

Marcus Harris scored more runs than any other Aussie batsman against India. Pic: AAP

He said last week’s camp in Brisbane “cranked up” his focus for the cricket ahead and while conceding there was plenty of cricket to play before the Ashes was hopeful his work at least put him ahead of the chasing pack.

“There is definitely still a bit of water to go under the bridge but I felt like I finished the summer in really good form and probably did as much as I could, except maybe turning a couple of 90s in to 100s,” Harris said on Wednesday as Cricket Australia announced a new digital partnership with global technology company HCL Technologies.

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“I feel like after my first couple of Test series I finished the summer strongly. It could have been easy to peter out, but I was driven to finish off well.

“There is definitely competition for spots but I feel like I am doing the right things at the moment.”

Harris returned to training at the end of April after a good break, but said he passed all the fitness benchmarks.

Harris hopes to further his case when he steps out for Australia A. Pic: Phil Hillyard

He conceded his time off meant he wouldn’t return in the same form he ended the summer with, but was confident it wouldn’t take long to be back to his best.

“It could have been quite easy to keep going, but if I did I could have got to the point now where I might have had enough. Having the break will work well for me,” he said.

“It might take some time to really hit my straps. Even this summer, my first game back for the Vics after the Big Bash, it was against Queensland and it took me an hour to work out how to hit the red ball again.

“I’m quite aware that I might not come in in the first game in England blazing the ball. But if I give myself that opportunity to just occupy the crease a little bit my form will hopefully carry through.”

Harris knows some big names will return for the Ashes. Pic: Getty Images

Australia A four day fixtures:

July 7-10: v Sussex, Arundel Castle Cricket Ground, Arundel

July 13-16: v England Lions, The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury

July 23-26: v Australia A, Ageas Bowl, Hampshire

Australia A four-day squad:

Tim Paine (c), Marcus Harris, Kurtis Patterson, Will Pucovski, Travis Head (vc), Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Mitch Marsh, Michael Neser, Jon Holland, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Josh Hazlewood (vc), Chris Tremain