Harris in doubt for Sydney Test

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AUSTRALIAN spearhead Ryan Harris is in doubt to be fit for the fifth Test in Sydney, but will use the extra day's rest in a desperate bid to overcome his various ailments and press to be part of an Ashes whitewash.

"If he's not fit he won't play; if he's fit he plays," Australian coach Darren Lehmann said. "We go down the same path all the time. I'd say he'd be doubtful, but we'll see how he recovers. An extra day helps. There's a five-day turnaround now, but we'll just have to wait and see.

"At the end of the day he's a valuable bowler for us, so we won't take any risks. But again, if he's fit and he can get through and do a job for his captain he'll play."

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Lehmann said whether all-rounder Watson could shake off a groin niggle and bowl might have an impact on Harris's selection

"I personally like having five bowlers in the side," Lehmann said.

"I think it's the way to get 20 wickets. It's very hard for three quicks and a spinner to get the wickets you need each and every day. Unless you have Shane Warne in the side, who was a spinner and a half. So from our point of view I think you need that workload off with the fifth bowler, so we'll have to have a look at that."

He said Watson "obviously batted very well today and got us across the line, so that was pleasing."

"I think that Shane would admit he's been a little bit disappointed with his output at No.3, but at the end of the day he's an all-rounder who has to bowl.

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"But we'll have to take a look at the Sydney wicket and assess all of those situations and how he's going, whether he's capable of doing both of those things."

Lehmann also said he would take local advice on whether playing two spinners at the SCG was a serious option, adding it was "a possibility".

He said Nathan Coulter-Nile and Doug Bollinger were in thre frame to play should Harris be unavailable because they bowled with "good velocity".

"We think that's a really big area for us. In our bowling attack you need to have speed these days. Gone are the days of (having pacemen) who bowl at 120-125kmh, you need to bowl 140 if you possibly can. Speed is a really big issue, especially in Australia."

Lehmann felt there was room for Australia to improve its batting and acknowledged that George Bailey needed to make some runs to shore up his spot in the middle order.

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"The simple fact is that our first-innings batting hasn't been good enough," Lehmann said.

"We've been very good in the second innings of games, but to be the side that we want to be we need to make runs in the first innings.

"I think both teams have a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets, it's about batters adapting to the conditions and making runs.

"It was a good performance to come from behind. I didn't think we batted very well in our first innings, and to play like that today was exceptional. Obviously Watson and Rogers, and Warner last night, got us what we needed to do done well today. We certainly learned from our mistakes in the first innings."

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Both Lehmann and skipper Michael Clarke defended the decision to bowl first at the MCG, saying it was a late decision made with an eye to the overcast conditions and the green tinge to the wicket.

"I don't think we bowled as well as we should have in the first innings either, and we bowled England out for 255. We would have liked to have bowled them out cheaper," Lehmann said, adding that even had Australia lost he would have felt it was the correct decision.

Clarke said: "When you win the toss and bowl, the result always dictates whether you're going to be criticised or applauded.

"Was it the right decision or not? The result will say yes, but after the first five overs on day one, the wicket certainly played better than I expected it to."

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