Harris talks down Ashes hype

Despite being named as a lock for the 2019 Ashes by Test legend Ricky Ponting, rookie Australia opener Marcus Harris isn't getting ahead of himself.

Harris scored 79 in Australia's first innings of the fourth Domain Test in Sydney, the highest individual score in a lean Test summer for the hosts, to become his side's leading run-scorer.

In his maiden Test series, Harris has 256 runs at 36.57 with two half-centuries and looked every bit the Test batsman on Saturday at the SCG as he played with aggression and freedom.

But just as he looked set to break Australia's drought of hundreds against India, the left-hander played on to finger spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

However, his attitude, temperament and technique has Ponting convinced he will be on the plane to England, but Harris is focusing on the final Test against India and the two Tests that follow against Sri Lanka before letting his mind think about an Ashes series on foreign soil.

"There's obviously a bit of water to go under the bridge yet but I feel like my game is in good order, I felt like I've been batting pretty well," Harris said after play. 

"The thing as a batter is you always want to make hundreds, so I haven't done that yet. 

"That's definitely one of my goals for the next innings and going forward. 

"We've still got a second innings here and another Test series before the Ashes is even to be worried about. 

"There's still a bit of work to do but my game feels in good order."

Harris' series strike rate of 52.78 is the highest by an Australian top-order player this campaign, exemplifying how hard scoring has been. 

The left-hander hit eight fours in his 120-ball stay at the crease, leaving the field with a strike rate of 65.83 after playing positively to both pace and spin.

That aggressive intent was absent when he attempted to dab Jadeja into the off-side only to be bowled from a thick inside edge.

Harris was captured speaking to head coach Justin Langer after his dismissal in the SCG home changerooms, where the pair discussed his lapse of concentration.

Image Id: 9123B0E1CA8E45EFBCD1915812099A05 Image Caption: Justin Langer speaks with Marcus Harris at the SCG // Getty Images

"I was just frustrated the way I got out," Harris said. 

"I had been playing pretty positively towards the spinners and then got out playing a pretty half-hearted shot. 

"That was all we spoke about, with JL. It was nothing over the top or anything like that. 

"I was probably more disappointed in myself more than anything."

Scoring hundreds has been Australia's Achilles heel this summer.

Harris's 79 represents the high watermark for the Australians while India have amassed five centuries, three belonging to obdurate No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara. 

The 26-year-old says the batting unit haven't spoken collectively about their struggles thus summer but know where they're falling short.

"I got a start, a few of us got a start but none of us went on for a big score," Harris said after four of Australia's top five reached 20 at the SCG without kicking on. 

"So it’s pretty simple to work out what went wrong. 

"We’re still fighting … still a bit to play in the first innings yet so we’re a young group and we’re trying to work it out and think on our feet.

"We’re playing against the No.1 side in the world so it’s not like it’s an easy thing to do, but it’s just a few little things we have to adjust to help us make those big scores like you see India make."

Domain Test Series v India

Dec 6-10: India won by 31 runs

Dec 14-18: Australia won by 146 runs

Dec 26-30: India won by 137 runs

Jan 3-7: Fourth Test, SCG

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c, wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitch Marsh (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar