I Was Scared To Face Indian Pacers, Admits Australia Opener

When India toured Australia in 2018-19 season, their pace bowling trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami were on fire. In fact, it would not be at all wrong to say that their performance was the biggest reason behind India’s historic series triumph on the Australian soil.

The pacers never really allowed the Australian batsmen to settle down throughout the four-Test series and powered India to a monumental 2-1 win. More than a year after that series, Australia opener Marcus Harris has opened up about his experience while facing the Indian pacers.

The left-handed batsman was making his Test debut during that series and he could not have asked for a tougher opposition. And Marcus Harris has described the Indian pacers as scary. The southpaw revealed how he was scared to face the Indian seamers in 2nd Test match at Optus Stadium in Perth.

Marcus Harris had scored 70 in the first innings to take Australia to 326 batting first. In reply, India were bowled out for 283, despite a masterclass 123 from Virat Kohli. Bumrah, Ishant, Shami and Umesh, however, made that 43-run lead look slender in the 2nd innings. They came charging, banged the ball in short and gave a tough time to Australia’s top-order, bowling out the hosts for 243.

“I was scared… Facing that attack (Indian fast bowlers) on that wicket (Perth) was scary. It might have looked good on TV, but it was scary in the middle,” Marcus Harris, who was hit on his helmet a number of times during the series, said in Amazon’s recently-released series ‘The Test’.

Marcus Harris was hit on the helmet while his opening partner Aaron Finch had to retire hurt after coping a blow in his right index finger. Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers as he returned with figures of 6 for 56. For Australia, Usman Khawaja top-scored with 72. India had gone on to lose the game by 146 runs before winning the third Test and drawing the fourth to win the series.

As far as Marcus Harris’ performance was concerned, he was one of the very few Australian batsmen who showed some resistance. He reached 20 in six of the seven Test innings and scored two half-centuries with a highest score of 79.

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