Andrew McDonald backs David Warner to end his poor form in India

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has backed a ‘fully recharged’ David Warner to play a key role in the tourists’ bid for a drought-breaking Test series win in India.

Warner has been on light duties since arriving at the tourists’ training camp in Bangalore ahead of the series opener in Nagpur, starting on Thursday.

The veteran left-hander’s individual schedule has been tailored after he conceded last month he was ‘exhausted’ on the back of a hectic few months.

Starting in August, Warner played in the white-ball series against Zimbabwe, New Zealand, England and the West Indies, in every game of Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign and each Test match of the home series against the West Indies and South Africa.

He then played six BBL games on his return to the domestic tournament.

Andrew McDonald has backed David Warner to come good on their tour of India

‘There’s no doubt it was a demanding summer into BBL, and it creates a challenge to shift back into Test match cricket,’ McDonald told reporters in Bangalore on Saturday.

‘But we feel as though with the preparation that we’ve got in mind, he’ll be recharged and ready to go.’

Warner has plundered 25 Test centuries and averages 46.20 in the longest form of the game, having blasted a brilliant double-hundred in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa.

But the 36-year-old has notably struggled in India, averaging just 24.25 with a highest score of 71 across 16 innings.

‘He’s really looking forward to the challenge of India and it’s been well documented that he hasn’t had the series that he would’ve liked here, and it’s always challenging,’ McDonald said.

‘But the way that he’s applying himself in his downtime to really landing on a method to take on the Indian spinners, also the quicks, and to have a successful tour … I think you’ll see him fully invigorated, fully invested and fully recharged for the challenge ahead.’

While Warner is a lock at the top of the order, mystery still surrounds the make-up of Australia’s line-up for the first Test.

The 36-year-old holds a torrid record on the subcontinent and is yet to hit a ton in India

However, he ended the Aussie summer with a superb performance at the MCG and is ready

Cameron Green continues to press his case despite a finger injury, while the tourists are still weighing up whether to pick two specialist spinners.

Green has been ruled out of bowling in Nagpur, with Matt Renshaw, who took the 23-year-old’s spot in Sydney last month, and Peter Handscomb in the mix to bat at No.5.

‘There’s a little bit of awareness around that finger,’ McDonald said.

‘He’s made some significant steps forward in the last couple of days, probably to my surprise.

‘There’s still an outside chance that, everything going well, he might be on the team sheet.’

Spinners Ashton Agar, Mitch Swepson and Todd Murphy are in the mix to partner record-breaking off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

It is a big year ahead for Warner with tours of India and England to come for the opener

But captain Pat Cummins insists a three-pronged pace attack could be preferred, with Green unable to bowl and No.6 batter Travis Head offering another off-spin option.

‘Talking about a couple of spinners, you forget how good a lot of our fast bowlers have been in all conditions,’ Cummins said.

‘Even some of the SCG wickets, there haven’t been a lot in them for quick bowlers, but the quick bowlers have found a way.

‘We’ve got plenty of options here (with) finger spin, wrist spin, left arm … we’ll obviously pick the bowlers that we think are going to take 20 wickets.

‘But how we split that up, we’re not 100 per cent sure yet.’