<p class="title">Australia opener Marcus Harris has warned against getting carried away by the grass on the MCG pitch, saying the track does offer runs to those who show patience.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Harris cited the example of a Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and New South Wales on the same pitch, where he thought the match would be over in "a day and a half" but ended up raising an unbeaten 250.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Pre-match when I saw the wicket I was really freaked out and I thought 'this game's going to be over in a day and a half and we've got blokes trying to vie for Test spots', so I went into the game with no expectations on myself and the wicket actually played pretty well," Harris told ESPNcricinfo.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It was relatively slow and stayed together."</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I saw this morning the wicket will probably be more similar to the South Australia game, where it had a bit more green grass on it, nipped around a bit but it was one of those wickets where if you play well you can make runs but if you bowl well you can take wickets."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Harris suggested patience is the virtue to have on the pitch for the Boxing day Test, starting Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I think it'll be the same old thing of patience, the MCG is never a really quick scoring ground anyway, so that'll be the key, just realising things will take a while to evolve. Not sure the wicket will break up too much, but we'll just have to wait and see.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Fortunately we've probably got the best bowling attack in the world so that looks after itself a little bit, but I think as batters a patience game will be the key and run rates won't be as quick as what you'd like, but that's the way it will be."</p>.<p class="bodytext">MCG curator Matt Page also said that the track will offer something to everyone.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We want to provide an opportunity for everyone. Whether it's the spinners, it's the pace bowlers or the batters. Providing them opportunities to be able to produce their world-class (skills) throughout a game, whether that's quickies at the front, batters in the middle, spinners towards the end. It's producing a pitch that everyone can show what they can do."</p>
<p class="title">Australia opener Marcus Harris has warned against getting carried away by the grass on the MCG pitch, saying the track does offer runs to those who show patience.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Harris cited the example of a Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and New South Wales on the same pitch, where he thought the match would be over in "a day and a half" but ended up raising an unbeaten 250.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Pre-match when I saw the wicket I was really freaked out and I thought 'this game's going to be over in a day and a half and we've got blokes trying to vie for Test spots', so I went into the game with no expectations on myself and the wicket actually played pretty well," Harris told ESPNcricinfo.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It was relatively slow and stayed together."</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I saw this morning the wicket will probably be more similar to the South Australia game, where it had a bit more green grass on it, nipped around a bit but it was one of those wickets where if you play well you can make runs but if you bowl well you can take wickets."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Harris suggested patience is the virtue to have on the pitch for the Boxing day Test, starting Wednesday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I think it'll be the same old thing of patience, the MCG is never a really quick scoring ground anyway, so that'll be the key, just realising things will take a while to evolve. Not sure the wicket will break up too much, but we'll just have to wait and see.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Fortunately we've probably got the best bowling attack in the world so that looks after itself a little bit, but I think as batters a patience game will be the key and run rates won't be as quick as what you'd like, but that's the way it will be."</p>.<p class="bodytext">MCG curator Matt Page also said that the track will offer something to everyone.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We want to provide an opportunity for everyone. Whether it's the spinners, it's the pace bowlers or the batters. Providing them opportunities to be able to produce their world-class (skills) throughout a game, whether that's quickies at the front, batters in the middle, spinners towards the end. It's producing a pitch that everyone can show what they can do."</p>