A Caribbean tour will be no holiday for Ryan Harris but the rugged quick has predicted he will feel like a tourist in Australia’s Test series against the West Indies.
Dumped after an expensive one-day tri-series stint in Australia, Harris could not see himself playing Test cricket any time soon despite flying out on Wednesday to link with the squad.
Once one of the first bowlers picked, an honest Harris believes he has fallen down the pecking order despite chiming into Australia’s 4-0 home Test series sweep of India.
“I don’t think I will be starting. Sids (Peter Siddle) had an amazing summer and so did Jimmy (James Pattinson),” Harris said.
“The only reason I got a game was because Jimmy went down.
“And Hilf (Ben Hilfenhaus) has come back to his best.
“If those three don’t start, I will be in shock.
“They did such a good job against India this summer for us – they thoroughly deserve their spots over there.”
Harris finally broke back into the Test side when he filled in for an injured Pattinson (foot) against India, notching six wickets at 29.83 as Australia completed their series romp.
But Siddle pointed to another set of stats to push Harris’ Test case in the West Indies.
Siddle, who also flew out on Wednesday, said the once fire and brimstone Windies pitches had become low and slow like the sub-continent – conditions he believed Harris would revel in.
Siddle said Harris’ heroics in Sri Lanka late in 2011 – when he took 11 wickets at 14.54 in two Tests – should be the template for Aussie quicks in the Caribbean.
“They have looked a bit slow and dead. It will be interesting to see how the Test pitches come up,” said Siddle who will play in the Caribbean for the first time.
“You will need patience and consistency. Ryano showed that in Sri Lanka.
“Reverse swing will come into it as well, and we have to bowl well with the spinner or spinners – Nathan (Lyon) and Beery (Michael Beer) might bowl together, you never know.
“But the bowlers have to work together to get the job done.”
Harris will visit the West Indies for the first time since the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup.
He might not rate his Test chances but he is hardly lacking confidence.
He is still buzzing from Queensland’s recent Sheffield Shield win over a Ricky Ponting-led Tasmania at the Gabba and hoped it rubbed off on his Test teammates.
“It’s been a big couple of weeks. Playing Shield cricket has been good and winning it was a big bonus – something I thought I would never do,” he said.
“It is a good time to get over there. The boys have done okay, probably would have wanted to go a bit better.
“But hopefully the guys going over can freshen the group up and play some good cricket.”
The first Test starts at Bridgetown on April 7.
