Marcus Harris: Starting from tomorrow, the 28-year old left-hand batsman will be playing a Test match after 16 months.
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Australia Test captain Tim Paine has confirmed that opening batsman Will Pucovski will sit out of the fourth Test against India in Brisbane after injuring his shoulder at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
It was during the fourth innings that Pucovski dived at mid-wicket to prevent the Indian batsmen from running two runs. However, an uncomfortable landing saw him walking off the ground after suffering a right shoulder injury.
“He [Will Pucovski] tried to train this morning and didn’t quite come up. He’ll have a bit of work to do with our medicos to see where he goes from here, but he’s obviously missing this Test match and Marcus Harris will replace him,” Paine told reporters after training at the Gabba on Thursday morning.
Marcus Harris named Will Pucovski’s replacement for Gabba Test
Opening batsman Marcus Harris, who had earlier received a call-up when both David Warner and Pucovski were suffering from individual injuries, will be playing his first Test for Australia in the last 16 months.
Harris, who made his Test debut during India’s previous tour of Australia, was dropped after a mediocre Ashes series in 2019 followed by a dip in form in domestic cricket.
While Harris got off to starts but failed to convert them in two warm-up matches against India A, he did score a double century and a half-century in the Sheffield Shield a couple of months ago.
“Harry’s [Marcus Harris] just a known [quantity] for us and a very good player. He’s been working our backside off in our hub for a while now. He’s had huge numbers in Sheffield Shield cricket and deserves the opportunity.
“We’re looking forward to him going out there and doing his stuff. He just goes about his business … he adds a bit of humour and comedy to our team and is a really relaxed character,” Paine added.
With the rest of the Australian XI remaining the same, the development means that Matthew Wade will continue to bat at No. 5 despite scoring 13 and 4 in the third Test.
