Got a gut feeling Australia will stick with Harris for Boxing Day Test: Ponting

Despite a poor show in the Ashes so far, former skipper Ricky Ponting reckons Marcus Harris will hang on to his place in the Boxing Day Test against England. Harris has scored 3, 9 not out, 3 and 23 in the four innings in the series so far and Ponting does not feel that it is right to drop a player after just a couple of Tests.

"There will be questions, and the questions are probably fair enough. But to pick a guy for only two Tests and (after) he's only been out three times (would be unwarranted)," Ponting told Cricket.com.au

"His record is a worry, his record against England is a worry and his record against Stuart Broad is a worry. All those things taken into account, that's why those questions will be there. But I've just got a gut feeling that they will stick with him," he added.

Harris has been caught behind both times off Stuart Broad in the ongoing Adelaide Test - once down the leg side and the other time, off the outside edge. His dismissals have come to some brilliant catching by Jos Buttler, who otherwise has dropped quite a few sitters in the match.

Harris regained his spot in the Australian side after an impressive county season with Leicestershire, before scoring a century in the Sheffield Shield for Victoria against New South Wales (NSW).

However, Broad who got the better of Warner bowling around the wicket during the Ashes in England last time has found success against Harris too. However, he had made a slight adjustment in the Adelaide Test, where he took a more side-on stance. 

Ponting believes that there were a few encouraging signs during his 66-ball stay in the second innings. "I thought he actually looked as good as he's looked in a long time in this innings," said Ponting.

"I thought he had a really good opportunity to bat for those two or three hours and make a good score that would make the noise go away. "Unfortunately for Marcus now the noise is not going to go away. If he gets picked for the next Test there's going to be more pressure going into Boxing Day.

"But I think they'll stick with him. I think three outs in this series would be too (little evidence) to leave him out of the Test team."