Tim Paine is urging Australia's batsmen to take up some of the slack from Steve Smith in the first Test against Pakistan as he banks on normal service resuming for David Warner after his Ashes failure.

Reunited with the recalled Joe Burns for the first time since Australia’s infamous thrashing by South Africa in Hobart in 2016, Warner is hoping to quickly put behind him what was the worst period of his career, with the bat anyway.

There have, of course, been far greater lows in a general sense and the first Test at the Gabba represents another stage in his Australian return – as well as that of Smith – their first Test on home soil since the sandpaper affair.

Back in those wild days, a prime minister rang the chairman of Cricket Australia, condemning the conduct of Australian players.