Justin Langer has confirmed Marcus Harris will hold his spot in the Australian XI for the Boxing Day Test.
Harris has a high score of 23 this series and has not looked the confident batter that impressed at Shield level earlier this year.
His Test average of 22.19 is the lowest of all regular Australian openers in the past 128 years.
However, chief selector George Bailey guaranteed the Victorian’s spot in the weeks before the series kicked off, with the selection panel continuing to show the faith into the third Test.
“He’ll play in the Test, no worries about that,” Langer told a press conference on Thursday morning.
“This is his home ground. He’s played a lot at the MCG.
“He hasn’t made the runs he’d like to so far, but he dominates domestic cricket. So he knows that he knows how to play.
“He’s a fantastic bloke around the squad ... and we know he’s a very good player.
“For him and for us we’re hoping he plays well and gets a good partnership with Davey Warner in this Boxing Day Test match.”
Langer referenced how his position in the Australian setup during his playing days was once under significant pressure, but key figures stood by the former opener as he returned to form.
“That’s absolutely one of the most important things in life, knowing people have got your back,” Langer said.
“My experience, when Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Mark Taylor or Allan Border said ’you’re in the team’, you feel like you feel like Superman.
“You feel like you’re important to the team and Marcus Harris is important to the team.”
Usman Khawaja is the only backup batter in the home side’s squad and is yet to play this series.
Meanwhile, England are set to make up to four changes for the Boxing Day Test, according to The Evening Standard’s Will Macpherson.
Despite having four years to prepare since their disastrous 2017-18 tour of Australia that ended in a 4-0 loss, the tourists have seemingly failed to learn many important lessons.
Currently 2-0 down and with problems aplenty, it’s understood Zak Crawley will assume the position of one of the English openers in Rory Burns or Haseed Hameed.
Burns is the more experienced of the duo while Hameed is relatively new to the Test scene, although both have struggled to adapt to Australian conditions.
Burns is averaging just 12.75 in the series to date, while Hameed’s isn't much better at 14.5 through the first two Tests.
It’s understood Mark Wood is likely to play after impressing in Brisbane and Johnny Bairstow may claim the spot of middle-order batter Ollie Pope.
Jack Leach is also back in the selection frame despite being pummelled by the Australian batters in the first Test.