Australia coach Andrew McDonald has backed opening batsmen David Warner and Usman Khawaja to regain their touch when the five-Test Ashes series begins on Friday following a below par effort in the World Test Championship final against India.
Khawaja had a forgettable outing at The Oval, managing a duck and 13. Fellow left-hand opener Warner was caught behind for one after a promising 43 in the first innings.
Warner had a particularly difficult time during the 2019 Ashes series, dismissed by Stuart Broad seven times and finishing with an average 9.50.
"I thought Davey moved well in the first innings (against India)," McDonald said.
"He got strangled down the leg side. You look at that, and you say 'a little bit of luck there and potentially that's a bigger score'. But the way he moved, the way he played is exactly what we want."
Khawaja was dropped after three Tests in the 2019 Ashes but has piled on the runs since his recall in January 2022.
"Uzzie's last two years speak for themselves. There's going to be failure points for any batters and he's had one," said McDonald. "But it doesn't mean he's any less prepared."
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Australia players celebrate after beating India by 209 runs to win the World Test Championship at The Oval in London on June 11, 2023. Getty -
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon took 4-41 in India's second innings. Getty -
Australia players celebrate at The Oval. Getty -
Australia captain Pat Cummins after the match. Getty -
Australia's Pat Cummins with the World Test Championship Mace. Reuters -
Australia's Nathan Lyon takes the catch to claim the wicket of India batter KS Bharat for 23. Getty -
Australia's Steve Smith takes a catch to dismiss Virat Kohli off the bowling of Scott Bolland. Getty -
Nathan Lyon of Australia celebrates winning the match. Getty -
Virat Kohli top-scored for India with 49. Getty -
Australia bowler Scott Bolland celebrates after taking the wicket of India's Ravindra Jadeja for a duck. Getty -
Frustrated India batter Ajinkya Rahane after losing his wicket for 46. Reuters
Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes said he will not make his team change their new-found style of play against Australia.
England have turned things around dramatically in red-ball cricket under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, claiming 11 wins in 13 matches.
Edgbaston hosts the opening Ashes Test on Friday and Stokes said despite the history between the two sides and the quality of the opposition, his team will continue to play aggressively against the newly crowned World Test Championship winners.
"Nothing is going to change because we've had unbelievable success with it," Stokes told BBC Test Match Special.
"If we were to change anything from the last 12 months because we find ourselves in an Ashes series then anything from the last 12 months will have been completely pointless.
"Even before getting together as a Test team for the first time with me as captain, there was one simple thing I said I had to be doing and that was being completely true to myself.
"I had to stay true to how I've gone about things as a player, and do them as a captain. I had 85 or 86 games before I got made captain, and the guys that I've played with knew me as a person and a player."
