Harris denies bad blood with JL

In-form opener Marcus Harris says he has a “really good” relationship with Justin Langer and that the Australian coach’s parting shot at the left-hander more than two years ago has long since been forgotten.

Victoria’s Harris has stormed into calculations for a Test debut this summer after a strong start to the domestic season, highlighted by an unbeaten 250 against NSW that led to congratulatory text messages from both Langer and national selector Trevor Hohns.

Western Australian Harris moved east to the Vics at the end of the 2015-16 season, with then WA coach Langer labelling the left-hander’s time at the Warriors “mediocre with flashes of brilliance”, a rebuke of sorts in contrast to the public well wishes players normally receive when they move states.

But Harris says the pair have caught up regularly since then, saying there’s no bad blood between himself and one of the men who will determine his Test fate this summer.

“I reckon I’ve been asked that question a hundred times now,” Harris said with a smile when asked about his relationship with Langer.

“We get along really well. We stay in contact regularly and when he was coach of WA, I would always catch up with him when (Victoria) played against them.

“When you get a clip in the media on the way out, that can be the headline. But that’s certainly not the case with our relationship, we get along really well.”

Having started his career at the Vics with consecutive 700-run Shield summers, Harris is the second-highest run-scorer after just four innings this season, a score of 65 last week a solid follow-up to his double hundred in the previous round.

And if Harris can add another score of substance against a strong Tasmania attack in Hobart this weekend, the whispers about a Test debut against India next month will only grow louder.

“It’s been a bit of a funny time,” he said of the uncertainty surrounding the make-up of Australia’s top six.

“I think if anyone gets runs at the moment, their name is thrown up there straight away. I suppose if you put runs on the board, that’s going to happen.

“It’s hard to not see it. I don’t read it all, you see bits and pieces on social media. Everyone’s name is being thrown up there, so I try not to read into too much.

“It’s a bit hard to avoid, but you just take it as it is.”

Despite Test skipper Tim Paine saying last week that Aaron Finch will open in the first Domain Test against India from December 6 in Adelaide, the scramble for places could lead to a change of thinking from Australia’s top brass.

Finch and Usman Khawaja, the incumbent Test openers, could both slide down the order to accommodate the likes of Harris and Queensland’s Matthew Renshaw, if the two openers are deemed worthy of inclusion.

Alternatively, Finch and Khawaja could stay at the top if middle-order candidates like Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne (both Test incumbents) and Peter Handscomb are able to secure their spots with impressive performances this week.

Round Four of the JLT Sheffield Shield begins on Friday, with Renshaw, Labuschagne and Joe Burns to take on Australia’s Test bowling attack in Queensland’s match against NSW Blues in Canberra.

South Australia’s match against WA in Adelaide, also starting on Friday, will see Head and the Marsh brothers get a chance to impress while the likes of Harris and Handscomb will have to wait until Saturday for the start of Victoria’s match against Tasmania.

All matches of the JLT Sheffield Shield will be live streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app