Australia vs India 2018-19: 3 things we learned from Day 1 at Perth

#2. Marcus Harris shows he is good enough for the top level

Harris displayed exemplary temperament

Marcus Harris, the prodigal son, returned to his old stomping ground in Western Australia and immediately looked the part.

Having impressed for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, the left-hander was expected to make a seamless transition into the Test arena. And even though he couldn’t muster anything of note in the first Test, he seemed to possess all the ingredients to be a successful Test batsman.

At Perth, he translated that talent into runs.

Opening the batting, Harris looked solid during his stay at the crease and was rarely troubled by India’s pacers. The left-hander portrayed extraordinary patience to wait for deliveries in his arc before capitalizing on the loose ones.

The opener looked destined to notch his first international century before an awkwardly bouncing delivery from Vihari sent him back to the pavilion.

Ever since the retirement of Chris Rogers, Australia have failed to settle on a reliable opener. Before his ban, Cameron Bancroft seemed to have made the spot his own. But in the wake of the infamous ‘sandpaper gate’, Australia were left facing the prospect of filling two opening slots, instead of just the customary one.

However, in Harris, they seem to have stumbled upon the right opener. A cross of the likes of Rogers, David Warner and Justin Langer, the left-hander looks set to make a big splash on the international stage.

And with a well-constructed 70 on a challenging pitch, the opener might just have come of age.