Bird on hand to grind shine off England win Mission: Jackson Bird is a good fit for Durham. IT IS too late to win back Australia the Ashes, but Sydney-born seamer Jackson Bird is set to feature as Michael Clarke's side sets about rendering England's retention of the urn as hollow as possible. The 26-year-old is yet to play in this series despite displaying obvious signs in Australia's tour matches that his penchant for accuracy and attrition would be an ideal fit with English conditions. It is understood selectors planned for him to be drafted for the fourth Test at Durham, where Australia will begin their re-adjusted mission to draw the series in England. Bird's two Tests, against Sri Lanka in Melbourne and Sydney last summer, reaped 11 wickets at an average of 16.18, but he was then flown home from the tour of India after suffering a back injury he feared would rule him out of the Ashes. In two appearances on the Australian tour the Tasmania seamer claimed 4-48 at Worcester and then 2-62 against Sussex at Hove in a performance that was better than the figures suggested. The short turnaround before the fourth Test in England's north-east means selectors had originally not expected Ryan Harris to back up for a third match in a row, although the fact he bowled only seven overs in the wash-out on Monday means he has not been automatically ruled out. "I think he's a reasonable chance now he hasn't bowled today," Australian coach Darren Lehmann said. If he'd bowled today I wouldn't think he would be a chance at all so again we'll just have to see how he pulls up tomorrow the travel day and see how he goes at training. I still think if it's a Test match you've got to pick your best XI. If Jackson's in that XI then he's a chance to play. For us you've always got to look ahead I suppose now. But for us the most important thing is actually backing that performance up again from our last five days have been outstanding, putting England under pressure and we would have won the Test match so quite comfortable with that, for us it's about backing that up again and finishing the game off. The 33-year-old Harris was a standout again on Monday, claiming the top-order wickets of Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott in quick succession in an inspired performance alongside Peter Siddle that was only halted by the rain. Harris now has 11 wickets in two matches in this series, proving again that when fit he is an automatic choice in Australia's best attack. However, whether he should back up for a third Test in a row is a discussion that will be held before the team is finalised for Chester-le-Street this week. In a Test career stretching back to March 2010 that has repeatedly been interrupted by injury only once has Harris strung together three appearances in a row, during the home Ashes series of 2010/11, and during the third of that run at the MCG he broke down with an ankle injury. Harris missed the majority of the home summer after a shoulder operation before playing the final three games of the Sheffield Shield season for Queensland. He was then sent home from the Indian Premier League in April after only three matches for precautionary reasons after an Achilles complaint. Australia has already lost one fast bowler from the Ashes campaign - James Pattinson suffered a stress fracture of his back at Lord's - and will be tempted to use Bird, particularly with the return series against England later this year in mind.