Australia suffered a 177-run defeat at the hands of the Proteas which Harris attributed to the WACA pitch which is in contrast to the more favourable Gabba deck.

And looking ahead to Hobart after losing the first opening Test in 26 years, Harris said the outcome could have been very different had the hosts played at the Gabba.

"It's very unusual. It's foreign ground for us - we haven't done it for a long time," Harris told AAP.

"That's what happens when you move away from the Gabba, where we have had so much success, which they probably shouldn't have done in the first place."