Some excellent supporting characters exist in history.
Not sidekicks. That would be disrespectful. The number twos – those who make the stars shine that little bit brighter.
Peter Taylor was present for Brian Clough. Elton John had Bernie Taupin. Anna was in Elsa’s possession.
Mitchell Johnson, the moustachioed menace who destroyed England at the speed of light, had Ryan Harris.
Johnson will always be in charge of the 2013-14 Ashes, which featured England losing 5-0. The left-armer was pure pyrotechnics, battering stumps, pads and helmets, for his 37 wickets. On the other end, Harris, the new ball player, was relentless and rampaging, just like his “Rhino” nickname.
It was Johnson who walked away as an Ashes legend, but Harris who produced ESPN Cricinfo’s ‘ ball of the century’, a physics-defying in-outer to bowl England captain Alastair Cook. Harris was compared to Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, and Kevin Pietersen as the best Australian seamer he’s ever faced.
There were plenty of reasons why Harris might never have pulled on a baggy green cap.
Harris could have represented England because his father was born in Leicester. An attempt to spend time with Sussex as a local player in 2008 was aborted. A younger Harris who liked “drinking beers” was then fired by South Australia, only to have his state contract as a first reserve when a different player turned down their offer.
With a second chance, Harris realised he could add some pace to his bowling, and a move to Queensland helped fulfil his potential. A troublesome right knee, a hangover from field injuries sustained while playing Aussie football, and more would eventually end his career.
He did not make his Test debut until the age of 31 – just before an Australia side in transition was famously humbled 3-1 on home soil in 2010-11 by Andrew Strauss ‘ team. The last time England has won down under is still here.
“They were just relentless”, Harris tells BBC Sport. I just recall entering changing rooms during breaks and asking, “What must we do to get these blokes out?”
As his team suffered, so too did Harris, breaking his ankle in the fourth Test. Nothing can compare to Johnson’s agony, whose game disintegrated amid a barmy army soundtrack of tidbits. He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right. The rest is known to you.
“For the first time in his career he was challenged and the ball wasn’t coming out anywhere near what we would have liked”, says Harris. He began to doubt himself mentally.
” That happens when there is so much pressure on. He tried to intimidate and bowl quickly, but he couldn’t quite get that.
Harris ‘ next crack at the English, in 2013, was just as problematic for Australia.
Mickey Arthur was replaced as head coach by Darren Lehmann after a chaotic build-up, which included disagreements over homework and David Warner punching Joe Root in a Birmingham bar.
” Boof had a massive meeting about how we all have to be in it together, “says Harris”. Mickey had formulated “I will do this, I will do that,” which we had team values. Boof flipped that. He changed the letter “I” to “We.” It was all about us being together. “
Australia were 2-0 up, but they could have won the series 3-0 before falling to Australia. There was a return series in Australia straight away, and Harris sensed the shift in momentum.
We thought it was much closer than that, he says, but you look at it on paper and it’s one of the worst outcomes.