Warner discusses the Ashwin threat

Australia vice-captain David Warner has voiced his incredulity at claims by India off-spinner Ravi Ashwin that injury reduced him to well below his best form in recent outings.

Ashwin, India's most potent Test bowling weapon and the world's top-ranked Test bowler who this month became the fastest (in games played) to claim 250 Test wickets, looms as the greatest threat to Australia's batting in the upcoming four-game series.

He has taken 61 wickets in nine home Tests against New Zealand, England and Bangladesh over the past six months despite suffering from the effects of a sports hernia – a soft tissue injury in the lower abdomen or groin – that he claims has rendered him able to "perform only 60-70 per cent of my potential".

The revelation clearly wrong-footed Warner, who will be one of the key wickets targeted by India's bowlers during the Qantas Tour that formally begins with the opening Test in Pune next Thursday.

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So much so that the opener found himself inadvertently blaspheming at a media conference following the end of the Australians three-day tour match against India A at the historic Cricket Cub of India's Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

"Well if he (Ashwin) says he's bowling at 60 to 70 per cent then Jesus, what else has he got?," Warner said.

"Twenty-four or twenty-five five-fors in the last 12 months, bowling at 60 to 70 per cent. I'd hate to see 100 per cent then.

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"We've got our plans. Everyone's got their plans against Ashwin. He's a very, very good bowler. We understand that.

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"And the other thing as well is there's other bowlers that we have to be mindful of.

"So we know that he will play a crucial a role in this, but as I've always said we just have to adapt to the conditions and assess when we're out there."

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Warner is likely to lock horns with the 30-year-old India spinner early in the series, with many judges expecting that India will look to exploit Australia's historic frailties against spin by employing Ashwin with the new ball.

Warner did not have an opportunity to face a lot of spin during the tour match, losing his wicket to India A's three-pronged seam attack in both innings where he made scores of 25 and 35.

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But he outlined his aim for the Tests, which is to play within himself until the ball begins to soften on the drier Indian wicket blocks and outfields and then look to exploit that.

"That's probably one thing that I learned from last time (the disastrous 2013 Test tour)," Warner said.

"The ball is going to get soft fast, but you're going to have to assess the conditions.

"They're going to bowl tight lines early on with the ball swinging, and then you've got to assess.

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"Whether it's letting the ball come to you, rotating the strike, attacking or defending the spinners.

"You've got to have that mindset, and you've got to be positive with that, and you can't second-guess yourself.

"Because if you second-guess yourself you're out, so you've got to stick to your plan and adapt out there."

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Regardless of what awaits, Warner believes his team could not be better prepared or in finer shape.

Largely because of the work they undertook during the week-long training camp the squad completed in Dubai prior to arriving in Mumbai last week to try and overcome their recent poor form in Asian conditions.

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"The guys had a great hit-out in Dubai," Warner said. "We trained fantastically, we trained hard.

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"Miles in the legs, and that's probably a great thing – we're fortunate and grateful for that opportunity.

"The guys are in a great frame of mind, we're ready to go, we're pumped.

"And it's been a much-anticipated series so we're really looking forward to getting out there."