Marcus Harris' will likely pay a financial cost for the innings that has saved his Test career.
The Australia opener edged and near-missed his way to 76 before his dismissal before tea on day two of the third Ashes Test at the MCG.
Jimmy Anderson finally ended the left-hander's dogged resistance when he had Harris caught by captain Joe Root at first slip.
It was the struggling Harris' second-highest Test score, featuring seven fours and 189 deliveries.
This was also his highest Test score in 18 innings, going back to his career-high 79 against India in the 2019 New Year's match, and only his third half-ton.
When dismissed he had top-scored as Australia reached 6-196 in reply to England's 185 on an MCG green top.
Coach Justin Langer and the selectors had kept faith with Harris after a string of low scores, determined to settle on an Test opening partner for David Warner.
While Harris certainly booked his ticket to Sydney for the fourth Test, it will probably leave him out of pocket.
He is likely to be fined after the stump mic clearly caught an exchange with English bowler Ben Stokes.
Harris had made 36 when was given out lbw off Stokes, but he successfully reviewed the decision.
After the hotspot technology showed nothing to help the Australian, Snicko clearly picked up an inside edge onto his pad.
Stokes then asked Harris what had happened.
"I wasn't, like, 100 per cent sure ... I thought it might have clipped both pads and maybe an inside edge," the Australian told him.
"Hotspot's f***ing hopeless."
Teammate Travis Head was fined for swearing at himself while batting in the first Test.
But Harris' expletive would have been nothing compared to the swearing under their breath from the English pacemen as he continually frustrated them.
They beat his outside edge repeatedly and Harris never looked fluent.
Still, he survived to anchor the Australian innings.
As the Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne dismissals showed before lunch, this MCG strip continues to be difficult for batting.
Unlike England on day one, Harris played no reckless shots.
While England rallied to restrict Australia's first innings, they might have played Harris back into some sort of form.
After Harris only managed three and 23 in Adelaide's second Test, he looked in doubt to play at his home ground on Boxing Day.
But team hierarchy made it clear they wanted to give him every chance to convert solid Sheffield Shield form into a steady Test berth.
© AAP 2021