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Warner in race against time for first Test

David Warner has avoided surgery on his injured groin but is now racing the clock to play in the first Test of the summer.

Warner went down in Sunday night’s ODI series-clinching win with scans confirming a strain that will keep him out of the remaining white-ball matches.

He has been replaced in the Twenty20 squad by D’Arcy Short, but has just 18 days to prove his fitness for the first Test in Adelaide.

Cricket Australia also confirmed Pat Cummins would sit out the last ODI on Wednesday and three T20s in a bid to preserve his fitness for the Tests.

“Pat and Davie are critical to our plans for the Test series,” coach Justin Langer said.

“Davie will work through his injury rehab and in Pat’s case it is important all of our players are managed well to keep them mentally and physically fit.

“The priority for both is being fully prepared for one of the biggest and most important home Test Series we have played in recent years.”

While CA won’t put a time frame on Warner’s rehabilitation, the opener looked in immense discomfort as he left the SCG on Sunday.

The team’s former doctor Peter Brukner claimed on SEN on Monday he expected Warner would miss at least four weeks.

Given his game is built around quick footwork and hard running between the wickets, any issue with his groin would be of concern to Australia.

Australia could now open with Matt Wade or shift Alex Carey to the top of the order for Wednesday’s final ODI.

But the bigger issue is the Test team.

India’s Virat Kohli congratulates teammate Shreyas Iyer for the run out of Warner during the one day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday. Photo: AAP

While Joe Burns appears likely to hold his spot ahead of the in-form Will Pucovski at the top of the order, both could open if Warner is out.

That would hand Pucovski his debut against a pink ball in Adelaide, while Burns hit just 57 runs at 11.4 to start the Sheffield Shield for Queensland.

There is however a belief from teammates he can step up into the senior opening role if Warner is unavailable.

“Joe is averaging 40 in Test cricket, so he is certainly established,” Marnus Labuschagne said.

“He has four Test hundreds, he is a very good player.

“Although he hasn’t scored the runs in Shield cricket he’d have liked, he got 99 against Pakistan last summer and negotiated through that new-ball period almost every time.

“He’s not far away from some very big scores.”

Meanwhile, India can see a positive if Warner is injured.

Australia desperately missed him at the top of the order during his ban two seasons ago when India last toured, before he hit 786 runs at 131 last summer.

“I don’t know how bad his injury is but it’d be nice if he gets injured for a long time,” batsman KL Rahul quipped.

-AAP

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