Opener David Warner is set to call time on his Test career after the third and final Test match of the Pakistan series. Set to be played in Sydney from 3 January, Warner will finish his Test career as one of the most prolific batters in Australia. With no back-up opener in the Test team, it is expected that one of the players from the domestic arena will be called up into the team. Australia opener Marcus Harris, who last played a Test match back in 2022 is one the candidates to take over the position.

Harris was replaced in the Australian team by Usman Khawaja after his tremendous twin comeback hundreds during the Ashes 2021/22. Khawaja has been undroppable since then and has in fact scored the most runs during that period of time. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Harris said that he draws confidence from Khawaja in his career and it makes him happy to be in the reckoning for the opening spot.

“It does give me the confidence they have looked at me as being the next opener in line,” Harris told Sydney Morning Herald.

“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,” he further added.

At the time of dropping Harris, Australia captain Pat Cummins had said that the opener was not getting dropped on the basis of form. Harris hopes that his consistent performances in the domestic circuit are enough to get him back into the side.

“You don’t lose belief because you weren’t dropped on the basis of form,” Harris said. “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,” he further added.

Australia captain Pat Cummins has not spoken about the combination that Australia will adapt after Warner leaves. Back in 2022 Cummins had said that Harris would be in and around the Australian side and that Australia would continue to invest in him.

“I think he knew was it was coming,” Cummins has said after the Sydney Test in 2022.

“The message to Harry is we think he is going really well. It’s really tough on him. It’s not too often someone comes in and hits two hundreds in the same game. But I thought Marcus has been really good I think he’s been growing with each game he was a huge part in how we won that MCG Test with a crucial innings,” he had further added.

“So he’s certainly part of the future. We’ll keep investing in him. I think he’s been going really well,” Cummins had concluded.

Harris took the example of Khawaja and said that no one was finished in today’s day and age and stressed that he had a lot of cricket left in him.

“I think in this day and age, you can’t write anyone off. I feel like my frame of mind if you get down in the dumps you can feel that way a little bit. I’d like to back myself and think I’ve got plenty of good cricket ahead of me. If given the opportunity, I can take it with both hands,” Harris concluded.