Australian opener Marcus Harris stated that he takes confidence from seasoned opener Usman Khawaja in his career and expressed his delight at being considered for the opening spot in the team, particularly after the retirement of David Warner from red-ball cricket.
David Warner will retire from Test cricket after the third and final Test match of the Pakistan series. The left-handed opener will end his Test career as one of Australia’s most destructive and consistent batsmen in all three formats of the game. Marcus Harris is one of the frontrunners to succeed David Warner when he retires from Test cricket.
Speaking on Sydney Morning Herald, Marcus Harris said that he is pleased to be considered as the test opener following the retirement of David Warner and that he has performed consistently over the years to earn a spot in the Australian team.
“It does give me the confidence they have looked at me as being the next opener in line, I’d like to think I haven’t done much wrong for that to change. I feel like my performances over a long period of time have stayed consistently at a good level. I feel like I’ve done what I’ve needed to do,” Marcus Harris said.
Usman Khawaja replaced Marcus Harris in the Australian team following his incredible twin comeback hundreds during the Ashes 2021/22. The Veteran left-handed opener has been unstoppable since then, scoring the most runs over that time frame.
The Perfect Case In Point Is Probably Usman Khawaja – Marcus Harris
Marcus Harris believes he was not dropped because of his form and cited Usman Khawaja, who made a remarkable comeback into the Australian team through continuous performance in domestic cricket and was recognized for his excellent play in the last few years.
“You don’t lose belief because you weren’t dropped on the basis of form, That keeps your spirit up. The perfect case in point is probably Uzzie. You hear how in 2019 he thought he was done, probably never play again. His last two years have been the best cricket he’s played,” Marcus Harris added.
Usman Khawaja was recalled to the Australian team for the first two Ashes Tests in 2021 due to his outstanding domestic play. The 37-year-old finished the ICC World Test Championship 2021-2023 cycle as the second-best run-scorer.