Harmison (right) wants a chance to redeem himself after BrisbaneEngland will bid to bounce back from a poor start to the Ashes when the second Test starts in Adelaide on Friday.
The tourists were hammered by 277 runs in the first Test in Brisbane, with their bowlers struggling as Australia's batsman seized control.
But England captain Andrew Flintoff said: "Everyone realises we're better than what we did last week, we're a better side than that.
"Our heads were never going to go down, we've got four Test matches to go."

England, who are the current holders of the Ashes, may be boosted by the absence of veteran Australia seam bowler Glenn McGrath in Adelaide.
A major turning point in last year's Ashes series came when McGrath injured himself on the morning of the second Test.
He is currently struggling with a heel injury, and Australia will delay making a decision on whether or not he can play until just before the match.
You have to expect that they are going to play better than they did in the first Test
Australia captain Ricky Ponting
Flintoff admitted the possibility of McGrath once again sitting out the second Test had brought back memories of 2005.
"I think the atmosphere going into this Test is very similar to last time," said Flintoff.
England will be hoping the 2006/07 series follows a similar pattern to 2005.
After a heavy defeat in the opening encounter they came roaring back, although that looks a lot less likely this time, not least because the hosts have a terrific record in Adelaide.
They have won 11 of their last 15 Tests in the southern Australian city, although one of their three defeats was by England in 1995.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting admitted he is wary of the tourists finding their form.
"You have to expect that they are going to play better than they did in the first Test match, they're very capable of doing that," said Ponting.
"So we just have to look after ourselves and prepare for what England are capable of.

"It's up to us really to make sure to repeat what we did in Brisbane.
"I thought the cricket we played in Brisbane was of a very high calibre and it's important that we start this Test match off exactly the same."
Neither side have yet named their teams, with Australia waiting on the fitness of McGrath.
They have omitted second leg-spinner Stuart MacGill from their squad and if McGrath does not make it then either Mitchell Johnson or Shaun Tait will replace the 36-year-old.
England are still considering playing two spinners, with Monty Panesar in line for his first start this series.
If he plays James Anderson is expected to step down, with England almost certain to give misfiring spearhead Stephen Harmison another chance after his disappointing display in the first Test.
In their first innings in the last seven Tests in Adelaide Australia have scored 428, 575, 556, 552, 439, 403, 441, going on to win six of the matches and losing just one.

We're quietly confident
Geraint Jones on first TestGeraint Jones has insisted he is still on good terms with Chris Read after replacing him as England keeper for the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.
Jones was dropped during the summer but coach Duncan Fletcher made an early decision to reinstate him after the team's arrival in Australia.
"It was difficult for him when I found out I was playing [in the Test].
"I felt for him in that regard but we still work out in the gym together. We're basically friends," said Jones.

"When he was included last summer I sent him a text to say good luck. There's nothing personal between us, we know that. It's a selection thing."
Jones admitted he was "a little bit surprised" to learn before the warm-up games against New South Wales and South Australia that he would definitely be playing in Brisbane.

He knows, however, that it is his batting ability rather than his prowess with the gloves which has prompted his recall and he needs to produce a decent score sooner rather than later.
Jones insisted he would not be fazed by having to face the likes of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, having played against them during the 2005 Ashes series, which England won 2-1.
"You've just got to look at that little red ball coming out of the hand.
"You can't think of the person who's letting it go because there are some Test greats there. That's something we did so well in the last Ashes," the 30-year-old added.
Warne, however, believes the decision is one England could come to regret.
"It's surprising they would go back to Jones. I thought they wanted Read back because they wanted their keeper to cling onto everything behind the stumps," he said.
"Jones will be under enormous pressure. It's not me sledging him or anything - he's in the side for his batting not his keeping and we've seen him drop some crucial ones.
"You don't want to be dropping Ponting on half a dozen when he's just been brought back into the side. It's good for us that he's playing."

Tour match, Sydney, day two of three (stumps): New South Wales 355-9 dec v England 256-4

Pietersen played some typically flamboyant strokes to rally EnglandKevin Pietersen capped England's best day in Australia so far with a fine innings against New South Wales.
Pietersen (80no), Andrew Strauss (50), Alastair Cook (59), and Andrew Flintoff (48no) all shone on day two in Sydney.
Earlier, Steve Harmison claimed 3-95 as the hosts declared on 355-9 after rain allowed only 4.1 overs before lunch.
Marcus Trescothick and Ian Bell failed but the tourists closed on 256-4, showing encouraging signs ahead of the first Test in Brisbane on 23 November.
Their prospects for that game were already starting to look bleak after a Prime Minister's XI thrashed them on Friday and New South Wales racked up 325-5 on day one.
But Harmison, who had been expensive, led the fightback by trapping Moises Henriques lbw with an inswinger in his second over.

Harmison got the breakthrough England wanted early on in Sydney
After the extended break, Daniel Smith (45) was dropped by a diving Strauss at second slip off Matthew Hoggard before edging Harmison behind.
Hoggard did take a wicket when Nathan Hauritz spooned the ball to Ashley Giles at short mid-wicket and James Anderson (2-45) struck with his first ball, Nathan Bracken edging a wild drive to Trescothick.
Trescothick has brought his poor form from the summer Down Under and, after making only two in the defeat in Canberra, he played on to Brett Lee for eight.
Fellow left-hander Strauss was hit in the chest by a Lee delivery but recovered to produce a succession of crisp drives and cuts off the speedster and Glenn McGrath.
He was dropped by Clark in the gully off Bracken on 32 but, after hitting eight boundaries in a 57-ball knock, saw Clark make amends by holding a brilliant one-handed catch off his own bowling.
Bell edged his second ball off Clark behind to leave the tourists in danger of undoing their good work.
Cook almost played on twice early in his innings, but the runs gradually began to flow.
Pietersen got lucky when he top-edged a hook shot off Lee into space at backward square leg, but he then smashed Henriques for six over the mid-wicket boundary.
Pietersen continued to torment the young all-rounder, hitting three fours off the 37th over, but then McGrath broke the fourth-wicket stand, bowling around the wicket to trap left-hander Cook lbw.
Pietersen brought up his 50 by lofting McGrath over mid-on for four, before Flintoff got in on the act, hitting spinner Beau Casson for three boundaries in quick succession.

Flintoff is crucial to England's chances of holding on to the AshesAndrew Flintoff is confident he will be physically ready for the challenge of captaining England in an Ashes series.
Flintoff returned for his country in the Champions Trophy in October, four months after undergoing ankle surgery.
But speaking before the 2130 GMT flight to Australia he said: "The chance to play again was invaluable.
"We have two three-day warm-up games before the first Test and that will be perfect. By the time we get to Brisbane we'll hit the ground running."
The tour starts with a one-day game against an Australian Prime Minister's XI at Canberra on 10 November.
It will be followed by matches against New South Wales and South Australia before the main business of the first Test in Brisbane, which begins on 23 November.
England won an Ashes series for the first time in 18 years in 2005 in what many have called the greatest Test series in the history of the game.
Hopefully we can do something special and create a buzz about cricket again over the next few weeks
Andrew Flintoff
Flintoff played a huge part in their 2-1 success, scoring more than 400 runs and taking 24 wickets.
This time he has the added responsibility of leading the side in the absence of Michael Vaughan, who is still working to regain full fitness after knee surgery.
The Lancashire star is not sure whether this year's contests will emulate last year's dramatic games but is determined to recreate the euphoria which surrounded their achievements.
"In England each Test match got bigger and bigger and we got a real feeling of what the Ashes was about," he enthused.
"We've been looking forward to this for a long time. It's something you dream about.
"Hopefully we can do something special and create a buzz about cricket again over the next few weeks."
Flintoff's squad contains several youngsters with no experience of Ashes contests, such as Alastair Cook, Monty Panesar, Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood.
But the 28-year-old says they are relishing the chance to take on the world champions on their own turf.
"It's going to be tough but having the chance to go to Australia to compete against the best side in the world is something the lads are very excited about," he added.
"We'll go there confident, with a young and talented side looking forward to testing their wits against Australia in Australia.
"This is the reason we play the game - we're going over to play in what could be the biggest series ever.
"We're going out with quiet confidence and looking forward to the challenge."

England fly out to Australia this evening with a full complement of players charged with retaining the Ashes won so heroically last summer.

Ashley Giles' clearance to travel Down Under provided Duncan Fletcher and his squad with a timely boost this week as they prepared to depart from Heathrow for one of the most highly-anticipated series in the history of the Ashes.

Inspirational skipper Andrew Flintoff is fit enough to bat and bowl, Giles has added experience to Monty Panesar's youthful spin talent and Alastair Cook is the young batsman able to support Marcus Trescothick.

However, those variables will make or break England this winter.

Flintoff's ankle has not been fully tested yet, Giles has only recently recovered and Trescothick's mental well-being not entirely assured.

Betterbet.com's current odds have Australia hot favourites at 1/3, England at 4/1 and the draw rated an 11/2 chance.