Shane Warne's controversial call on Aussie Test openers
Who will open the batting alongside David Warner in Australia's first Test against India? It's the burning question that all and sundry seem to have given an opinion on.
Incumbent opener Joe Burns has the backing of Warner, who thinks the Queenslander has done enough to keep his spot at the top of the order with young gun Will Pucovski breathing down his neck.
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Pucovski may well have already made his Test debut for Australia before now, with mental health challenges seemingly the only thing that's stopped him.
The Victorian has been in devastating form opening the batting for his state in Sheffield Shield, smashing two double centuries to start the new season.
Many commentators and former players have urged Test selectors to give the 22-year-old the nod, insisting that his form demands selection.
In what many would describe as a shock move, however, fellow Victorian and Aussie Test great Shane Warne is not one of them.
The Spin King - known in the past for his staunch support of Victorian talent - thinks selectors should take it slow with Pucovski.
Warnie says the run-scoring machine should continue to prove himself for his state in the Sheffield Shield, and the rest will take care of itself.
"I’d leave him out for a while,” Warne wrote in his exclusive column for NewsCorp.
"I know he’s made back-to-back 200s — but make another one, and then another one, and then another hundred.
"Just keep going and own domestic cricket."
Warne's stance appears to marry with the thoughts of selectors, who have sought Warner's opinion, as well as coach Justin Langer whose spoken glowingly of Burns.
Burns backed to open for Australia
Warner is known to like opening with the 31-year-old, with the pair turning the strike and rarely letting one bowler bog either batsman down.
But while Burns averaged just 11.4 for Queensland in his five Sheffield Shield innings so far this summer, Pucovski hit double centuries in two of his three knocks.
"If they go the way of Will, he has batting fantastic and been in and out of the Test squad," Warner said.
"He is in the right frame of mind at the moment. It probably is an opportunity for him to come into the team.
"But as we know it's harder to get out of this team than get in.
"At the moment I didn't think Joe did anything wrong last summer. We had some great partnerships and averaged over 60.
"And that's what you want from your opening partnership. And at the end of the day I have to be happy with it and embrace (whoever they pick)."
Burns was solid last summer with 256 runs at 32 but Australia's last Test is now more than 10 months ago.
Statistically, Warner's combination with him is the second best of any regular opening pair in the past decade for Australia.
Together, they have combined six century opening stands and average over 50 for the first wicket - a record bettered only by Warner's combination with Chris Rogers.
Warner on Monday defended questions from the likes of Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor on whether his preference should be considered.
"It's not a thing where the coaches and selectors will come to me and ask me," Warner said.
"It's just a preference.
"I have batted time with Joe Burns together in the middle. I know exactly what we are about when we're out there..
"We won a lot of games last year. For me you don't break something that is working."
Warnie’s Aussie Test XI
David Warner, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade/Cameron Green (one to be 12th man), Tim Paine (C, wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
with AAP
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