David Warner adamant he’s batting better than he has for two years

David Warner made a pair of ducks in Manchester in 2019 and despite a lean Ashes with the bat says he can win the battle with his English nemesis.

Australian opener David Warner is adamant his Ashes nemesis Stuart Broad has not got inside his head as he prepares for a fourth round in Manchester having kept his place in the side, with selectors instead dropping spinner Todd Murphy.

After being backed by opening partner Usman Khawaja and skipper Pat Cummins, Warner was given another chance to fire an Ashes shot despite returning just one half-century in the opening three Tests and two single-figure dismissals off the bowling of Broad at Headingley.

Those were the 16th and 17th times Warner has been dismissed by Broad in Test matches, but the veteran said that record did not impact on his mindset and that he “never feared failure”.

“I don’t really think about the match-up,” Warner said on the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast.

“You think about the ball that’s coming at you, how you are going to score. He bowls in a great area all the time.

“I always love facing Broady. We have two left-handed opening batters and he is one of if not the best bowler to left-handers in today’s game. He is so good at it.

“If you fear failure, I reckon you will fail. I have never feared failure, so I feel every game I go out thinking it could be my last. When you open the batting you are going to get out and you could get out first ball of the game, so I have had that instinct of backing myself and playing my way.”

Stuart Broad has dismissed David Warner 17 times in Tests. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Warner’s average for the series is just 23.5, but Cummins is adamant the numbers don’t tell the full story

“I thought at Lord‘s, he was really impressive. Last week, like many of us, he probably didn’t contribute as much as he would have liked with the bat,” he said.

“He‘s been out there over the last couple of days putting in a lot of work, but I think this tour he has shown a lot of good signs and hasn’t quite kicked on to make that big score.

“Some of those innings he’s played under really tough circumstances has made it easy for (Steven) Smith to come in and score runs or the like.”

Warner made a pair of ducks in Manchester during a horror 2019 series but is confident of turning that around this time.

“I feel like I am in great touch,“ Warner said

“I have felt good in the nets, leading in I had good sessions against our quicks at Beckenham (before the series).

Warner says he’s been in good touch in the nets. Picture: Ashley Allen/Getty Images

“Lord’s was probably the best I’ve batted in the last two years. Just holding my line.

“We have batted in probably the toughest conditions so far. In Leeds I got two good balls.

“You can‘t do too much about that … You just have to take it on the chin, can’t do anything about it.”

Australian selectors not only retained Warner but made the shock call to axe rookie spinner Murphy for all-rounder Cameron Green while also retaining Headingley centurion Mitch Marsh.

Travis Head is set to fill the spin duties at Old Trafford.