Doggett Might Finally Get His Ashes Moment And Harris Says He’s Ready

Brendan Doggett now stands right at the edge of something huge, and Ryan Harris is certain the guy is fully ready for it. Hazlewood’s hamstring trouble has opened that one door many bowlers dream for ages, and honestly it feels like Doggett just walked into the perfect time without forcing anything. The first Ashes Test in Perth on November 21 suddenly looks like his place to grab.

Why Doggett’s Name Is Rising Fast Before The Perth Test

The mood around him changed pretty quick after Hazlewood’s injury, almost like the cricket world blinked and went oh wait, Doggett’s been building this moment for years now. Harris said he watched him grow bit by bit in Adelaide, and he kept repeating how the guy just understood his body better these last couple seasons. You kind of hear that and feel yeah, that matches the way Doggett’s been bowling lately, sharp but calm too. Sometimes that maturity part gets overlooked till someone points it out.

The thing that keeps coming up is how Doggett’s been almost quietly consistent. Harris said he executes his role almost every time he bowls, and that alone is gold for Test cricket. There’s something steady about a player who doesn’t rush and doesn’t panic and just knows exactly which line belongs to him. Doggett being 31 probably helps more than many people think, because making a debut younger might’ve felt overwhelming. Now he seems like he’s walking in with pretty settled nerves.

Harris Saw Something Click In Him During Sheffield Shield

Harris is coaching him for South Australia, so he’s been around the man every week. The numbers backed that trust quick, because Doggett got 5-66 against Tasmania and then 6-48 against Western Australia. Those aren’t lucky spells, that’s a bowler who knows exactly where he wants the ball to land and keeps doing it repeat again. Harris talked like these games weren’t accidents but signs that Doggett’s game reached that right level.

Speed wise he hits high 130s most days, but Harris said you feel the ball harder than the number shows. On some spells he even touches past 140, which makes England batters think twice in Perth bounce. He isn’t as tall like Starc, but that shorter height doesn’t stop him from finding that bite off the pitch. Sometimes shorter bowlers get surprising lift because of the way their release angles work, and Doggett sort of fits that category pretty neat.

Why Harris Thinks This Is The Perfect Time For Doggett

Harris used the phrase Test length, and said Doggett bowls it naturally, slightly fuller and asking questions every ball. Swinging the ball at that pace is basically a dream mix for Perth pitches, especially early summer. He feels all this lined up right now, like some cricket timing magic. Harris himself debuted at 31 so maybe he sees his own old path in Doggett and knows how good maturity feels on a debut day.

Doggett now sits in that interesting spot where every signal says yes. The team needs someone, the form is there, the mindset is settled, and the pressure of Ashes doesn’t look like something that can shake him too much. If he gets his first cap on November 21, it won’t feel like a gamble but more like the moment finally catching up to the work he already done.