Harris: We’re ready, we’ve had some closure

Australia fast bowler Ryan Harris is positive that he is ready to play in the first Test against India, starting in Adelaide next Tuesday, after attending the emotional funeral of team-mate Phillip Hughes on Wednesday.
Harris was one of the players who said last week that he had doubts if he would be ready to play in the rescheduled Test match, but after attending the service with several team-mates, Harris achieved some sort of closure.
Writing in his column for the Age, Harris said: "Walking down that main street in Macksville, following the hearse and seeing all those people lining the side of the road really struck a chord with me.
"It was then that I knocked Mitchell Johnson on the arm and said: 'Far out, this is why we've got to play next week.'"
Harris is also confident that most of his team-mates, having started to come to terms with what has happened, would also be ready come the first ball next week.
He wrote: "One thing I noticed late on Wednesday was how the mood in the group had begun to shift. There were a few conversations about getting back to playing. The funeral was a bit of a milestone.
"As well as to pay your respects, it gives you a bit of closure. Now it's done I think there are a few more guys determined to get back on the park – but there's still a couple who are really hurting.
"I know some guys have really struggled, some haven't even picked up a bat or ball yet since it happened. They're just not going to know, until they pick a bat or ball up, whether or not they're going to be capable of playing."
It will be interesting to see if the Australians maintain their a aggressive approach after what has happened, but Harris was in no doubt about how they would go about doing things.
He wrote: "We'll definitely be maintaining our aggression; that's how we play well, That's what we do. That's the Australian way, so we'll get back to doing that.
"It's what those people I walked past on Wednesday in the procession would want, and what they would expect."
Latest
-
News
George Scrimshaw holds final-over nerves to guide Derbyshire past Lancashire
Scrimshaw successfully defended the 10 runs in the final over.
-
England
Jonny Bairstow and England looking to ‘take the game forward’
Bairstow hit a run-a-ball hundred for the second Test in succession as England fought back spectacularly against New Zealand.
-
England
Jonny Bairstow century leads thrilling England fightback at Headingley
The Yorkshireman made 130 not out and put on 209 with debutant Jamie Overton to rescue his side from 55 for six against New Zealand.
-
England
England top order left in tatters as New Zealand gain upper hand at Headingley
The hosts were 93 for six in reply to New Zealand’s 329 all out.
-
New Zealand
Daryl Mitchell breaks record with another century against England
Mitchell broke Martin Donnelly’s New Zealand tally of 492 runs in a series in England, set back in 1949.
-
England
Superb James Vince ton leads Hampshire to shock win over Somerset
Sussex’s five-match losing streak came to an end with a 17-run win over Surrey.
-
England
Adil Rashid to miss England’s India white-ball series to make Mecca pilgrimage
Rashid has found it difficult to make the pilgrimage due to timings and commitments.
-
England
Jack Leach pleased with good luck but admits freak dismissal no collector’s item
New Zealand closed the opening day of the final Test against England on 225 for five after Henry Nicholls was dismissed in bizarre fashion.
-
England
Stuart Broad stars on day one for England but error of judgement proves costly
Broad kept a week of celebrations going strong by striking before a run had been added and followed with the key scalp of Kane Williamson.
-
England
Matthew Mott expects England whitewash to ‘light fire’ under captain Eoin Morgan
Mott made an ideal start in his new role with a 3-0 one-day clean sweep of the Netherlands.