Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris is lucky to be charging into the crease in New Zealand after narrowly escaping a second trip to the operating table.
The 30-year-old was born in Sydney and moved to Adelaide when he was three, but it wasn't until his move from South Australia to the Sunshine State that the right-arm quick, lower-order hitter found his groove again after making his one-day international debut in 2008 against South Africa in Hobart.
Harris thought he was destined for a second trip to the operating table after two games for Queensland late last year – he previously broke his foot - when a trip to Melbourne saved him from another season-ending injury.
"I had a second opinion in Melbourne where some doctor stuck some needles in my knee and it has worked so far," he said.
"To be able to get back to where I am and take wickets after being very, very close to having a knee operation is very reliving. I didn't think I would get back into the Australian team so quickly."
Since returning, Harris has impressed in New Zealand despite a flogging in the opening ODI in Napier.
He has played 11 ODI matches taking 28 wickets with an impressive average of 14.75.
"I lost rhythm in first game, but it clicked in Auckland [3-38] and towards the end last night [in Hamilton 3-48] it came back," Harris said.
Australia holds a 2-1 advantage in the Chappell-Hadlee series with game four in Auckland on Thursday followed by the finale in Wellington on Saturday.
But Harris wants to stay in New Zealand - not permanently - but beyond the limited over format and revealed his dream to wear the baggy green cap.
"To play Test cricket would be a dream come true, but I try not to think about it. If I'm not selected I'll keep trying to bowl well until someone gets injured. I want to be the next guy in line," he said.
Australia plays New Zealand in two Test matches, in Wellington and Hamilton after the ODI series.
He also explained why Australia's tactics of nullifying the Black Caps' chasing ability, by batting first, altered in Hamilton.
"New Zealand does like chasing," he said.
"But Ricky looked at the pitch and thought it was going to be slow and he wanted to get as much out of it as he could – and it obviously paid-off."