Harris
only
averages
23.77
from
19
Test
innings,
with
the
second
of
his
two
half-centuries
coming
against
India
in
January
2019
after
scoring
his
first
in
the
same
series.

The
29-year-old
staked
a
strong
claim
by
making
a
19th
first-class
hundred
for
Victoria
against
New
South
Wales
in
the
Sheffield
Shield
last
month.

Bailey
says
Harris
deserves
his
chance
to
open
along
with
David
Warner
in
the
opening
Test
against
England
in
Brisbane,
which
starts
on
December
8.

“It
gives
you
great
confidence
as
a
selector
when
you
know
your
opening
batters
are
locked
away
as
far
as
a
Test
series
go,”
Bailey
told
RSN
radio.

“It’s
a
hard
spot
to
bat
and
to
get
those
places
settle,
it’s
really
important.
Harry’s
only
had
a
limited
opportunity
in
the
past,
and
he’s
been
in
and
out
a
bit,
so
we’d
love
nothing
more
than
for
him
to
hopefully
to
get
an
opportunity
to
get
an
extended
run
at
it.

“What
we
have
liked
is
his
consistency.
He’s
obviously
been
a
prolific
run-scorer
at
domestic
level
here,
but
also
love
the
fact
he
went
overseas
and
had
a
great
year
for
Leicester
as
well.”

Will
Pucovski
would
have
been
a
rival
for
Harris
at
the
top
of
the
order,
but
suffered
another
concussion
setback.