'I'm going to have to make a lot of runs' – Marcus Harris hopes for stellar Shield campaign to keep Australia spot

Harris wasn't the only Australian opener to struggle. His partner, David Warner, had a poor series as well. However, Tim Paine, the Australia captain, has already backed Warner to keep his place, based on his track record at home.

With Australia set to take on Pakistan in a two-match series from 21 November in Brisbane, and then host New Zealand in three Tests, Harris is under pressure to deliver big runs in the Sheffield Shield, Australia's domestic first-class tournament, beginning on Thursday, 10 October.

"I'm going to have to make a lot of runs, you don't have to be Einstein to work that out," Harris told cricket.com.au."I'm going to have to make a lot of runs in the first four Shield rounds to keep my spot. I've been [in] that situation before, so it's nothing different for me. I'm just going to have to go out there and churn runs out.

"We've got four games, all on good grounds. Hopefully, I can put myself in position (to be selected) for the first Test."

Harris was drafted into the XI for the last three Tests in the Ashes, after Cameron Bancroft failed to produce performances of note at Edgbaston and Lord's. However, much like Warner, Harris struggled against the new-ball duo of Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer, who accounted for him five out of six times in the series. Australia's opening partnership averaged a mere 8.50 in the series, and it is something that will need drastic improvement in the upcoming series.

"Just with the seam [movement], it was so difficult," Harris said. "It was a great challenge … in English conditions, those guys were very difficult. It was tough personally not to really get away at all. Conditions so different to what we play in, with the ball seaming so much.

Harris faces stiff competition from Bancroft, Joe Burns and even Usman Khawaja, who will likely be looked at as an opening option after Marnus Labuschagne impressed as No.3 in England. However, the 27-year-old hoped to put forth his best in the Shield, and replicate his glorious run from last year when he aggregated 1,118 runs – the most by any batsman in four years.

"I have had a tough little patch … but cricket turns around and changes so quickly that I've always got it in the back of my mind," he said. "It takes one good innings to get on a roll. The Ashes was a great challenge. If I make runs at the start of the season, the rest of that stuff doesn't matter.

"Last summer I made more runs than anyone else, so I'll just try to do the same again and the reputation will look after itself."