Australia opener Marcus Harris will replace Will Pucovski who failed to recover from a shoulder injury in time for the decisive fourth Test against India, skipper Tim Paine confirmed on Thursday.
Pucovski failed a fitness test on Thursday (January 14) in Brisbane, ahead of the final Test of the series. Harris, however, has not played Test cricket since the Ashes in 2019.
With Pucovski's unavailability, Marcus is the fifth opening batsman required by Australia in the four-match series. Marcus Harris will open the innings alongside senior batsman David Warner for the Australian side in the fourth Test.
Will Pucovski has been ruled out of the fourth and final Test between #AUSvIND at the Gabba.
— ICC (@ICC) January 14, 2021
Marcus Harris has been named to replace Pucovski in Australia's XI. pic.twitter.com/lV48ICg58z
Pucovski suffered a shoulder subluxation injury while diving in the field on the fifth day of the third Test match against India on Monday. Pucovski had opened the batting with David Warner in the Sydney Test and scored a fifty in his first innings of the game.
Harris wasn't part of the original Test squad but was added following the injuries to Pucovski (concussion) and David Warner (groin) which ruled the pair out of the opening two matches. He was then retained when Joe Burns was dropped after the second Test in Melbourne.
"Will won’t play tomorrow," Paine told reporters on the eve of the Gabba test.
"He tried to train this morning. He didn’t quite come up.
"Marcus Harris will replace him ... We’re looking forward to seeing what he will do."
The series is level at 1-1.
Australia XI: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (capt), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.