'Absolute rubbish': David Warner at centre of fiery Ashes blow-up

David Warner is at the centre of a new debate that’s seen Ashes foes Michael Vaughan and Ian Chappell collide.

Warner is expected to slot straight back into Australia’s XI for this year’s Ashes series in England, starting in the middle of the year.

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But a new debate is raging about where the opener should bat in Australia’s order.

Vaughan threw up a curveball on Tuesday when he suggested Warner might be better off coming in down the order a bit.

“I wouldn’t necessarily think at this stage that (Warner) has to open the batting in England,” Vaughan told the Daily Telegraph.

“He comes in no question, but don’t definitely think he has to open the batting.

“He averages 22 in the first innings (in England).

“OK, he does well in the second innings, but does Warner have to open the batting against that Duke’s, moving ball?

“Maybe the Aussies might need to be smarter and he might fit in the middle somewhere.”

But Chappell has since labelled that idea “absolute rubbish.”

Speaking on Macquarie Sports Radio on Wednesday, the former Test skipper said Warner’s aggression at the top of the order is crucial for Australia to be successful.

“To see the advantages (an aggressive batsman) brings you, it’s enormous,” he said.

“Warner can virtually win you a Test match in the first two hours of a game – why would you put him in the middle order if he can do that?

“If you’re going to tell me that Bancroft, Harris, Burns and Renshaw are better suited to opening the batting ahead of Warner, I’m going to laugh in your face.”

Bancroft and Harris on fire in Shield

Incumbent Test opener Marcus Harris smacked a brilliant match-winning century for Victoria against Queensland on Tuesday, describing it as the best innings of his career.

After the Bushrangers were set 300 for victory off the final 78 overs at Junction Oval on Tuesday, Harris smashed 174 off 197 balls to lead a recovery from 2-27.

Victoria ultimately chased down the target with three wickets and 4.4 overs to spare.

While Harris made his Test debut for Australia last summer, making two half-centuries, the 26-year-old said this innings eclipsed those moments and even the unbeaten 250 he compiled against NSW at the MCG in October.

Rival opener Cameron Bancroft also performed well this week for Western Australia, hitting 138 not out and 86 in his first Shield match back from suspension.

And while he may have won the battle of the incumbent Test openers against Queenslander Joe Burns (60 and 80), given he also scored 95 in the first innings, Harris wasn’t sure that his heroics necessarily placed him ahead of Burns in the pecking order with Warner expected to slot back in.

“Well he (Burns) got 180 in a Test match (against Sri Lanka) so that might have more weight in it,” he said.

Bancroft staked a strong claim for Ashes squad selection with two gritty innings against the same Dukes ball Australia will face in England.

NSW ended up claiming victory in the final session on day four winning by an innings and 51 runs, and but for Bancroft, WA’s end would have come much earlier.

The 26-year-old’s return following a nine-month ban for ball tampering, could barely have gone better on a personal level.

Bancroft contributed well over half of his team’s second-innings’ 147, scoring 86 in a five-hour 263-ball knock.

That came on the back of a seven-hour 138 not out in the first innings, in which he carried his bat for the third time in his career.

In total Bancroft soaked up an incredible 621 deliveries, just short of Steve Waugh’s all-time Shield record of 649 deliveries set in 1996.

with AAP