"The way David Warner played in WTC final is exactly what we want" - Andrew McDonald backs Australian opener for Ashes

Australia men's cricket team head coach Andrew McDonald said that senior batter David Warner has looked in good touch with the bat ahead of the 2023 Ashes against England.

Australia will move into the Ashes on the back of a successful World Test Championship (WTC) campaign in the 2021-23 cycle. Pat Cummins' men trounced India by 209 runs in the recently concluded WTC final at the Oval.

David Warner started his innings well, with his game awareness and character was adequately displayed as well as his eloquent shot-making, which fetched eight boundaries.

The Australian opener failed to convert his start into a big score as he departed on 43 after playing 60 balls in the first innings. David Warner scored just 1 run in the second innings as Australia set a 444-run target for the Indians.

Warner's form in red-ball cricket had dipped after Australia claimed the Ashes 4-0 Down Under. Since 2022, the southpaw has recorded 651 runs in 26 innings at an average of 25.03, with only two fifties and one century.

Barring his 200 against South Africa during his landmark 100th Test at MCG last December, David Warner hasn't made any other vital contribution for Australia in Tests.

However, Andrew McDonald had something positive to note regarding the New South Wales batter's performance in the WTC final. Speaking to the Australian Media, the head coach stated:

“I thought Davey (David Warner) moved well in the first innings (against India). 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.”

"Doesn't mean Usman Khawaja is any less prepared" - Andrew McDonald

Usman Khawaja has made giant strides since his return to the Australian Test side last year. The Queensland batter has piled 1621 runs in 30 innings at 64.84, including six centuries.

Khawaja failed to continue his brilliant run with the bat in the WTC final. He made 13 runs in the second innings following his 10-ball duck in the first innings.

Khawaja was dropped from the Australian team midway through the 2019 Ashes after the left-handed batter scored 122 runs in the first three Tests. McDonald backed Khawaja despite low scores in the WTC final, saying:

"Uzzie’s last two years speak for themselves. There’s going to be failure points for any batters and he’s had one. But it doesn’t mean he’s any less prepared."

Australia and England will play the first Ashes Test on June 16 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Australia have not won a Test series in England since 2001, whereas England will aim to win their first Ashes since 2015.