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To get through four Tests and perform was good: Ryan Harris
Flush from bowling in four successive Tests for the first time in his career, Australia paceman Ryan Harris is not about to let the small matter of a sore hamstring stop him from playing.
The pick of Australia's bowlers in the 3-0 defeat in the Ashes series, the 33-year-old returned from England on Thursday and will have a scan on the injury he sustained in the fifth Test draw at the Oval.
Having suffered from a chronic knee problem, left ankle fracture, shoulder problem, back strain, hip pain and a tender Achilles since he made his Test debut in 2010, Harris knows more than a thing or two about injury.
"It's not as bad as I thought," he told reporters at Brisbane airport.
"I'm confident it's not major, I barely felt it. I was really looking forward to getting through this series and playing as many games as I could and then playing with the Brisbane Heat guys."
'I need to keep going'
The Heat are playing in the Champions League Twenty20 competition later this month and Australian cricket fans could be forgiven for hoping Harris does not make the trip to India with another Ashes series looming in November.
With 24 wickets at an average of 19.58 in England, Harris amply illustrated his importance to a pace attack that is expected to play a key role in the attempt to win back the famous urn on home soil.
The Achilles injury cut short his participation in the Indian Premier League earlier this year and Harris said he discussed skipping the Champions League to rest up.
"I need to keep going," he said. "There's been discussions as to whether I should be going due to injury concerns.
"But I'm going to be bowling here anyway so I might as well do it in games."
'We can try and get the urn back'
After his superb displays in England, Harris has now taken 71 wickets in 16 tests but his personal satisfaction was not about to make up for his disappointment at the series defeat.
"To get through four tests and perform was good but at the end of the day, the results were bad," he added.
"The good thing is they come back here in November and we can try and get the urn back then."
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