Australian opening batsman Usman Khawaja has shut down the idea that a fast scorer is needed alongside him at the top of the order in Test cricket.
With David Warner's retirement, Australian selectors have handed an opportunity to Nathan McSweeney, but it has raised the question of whether he is a suitable replacement for Warner.
Warner has all but changed the way Test cricket is played, with the swashbuckling opener scoring at a high strike rate throughout his career.
Khawaja, speaking to News Corp, said Warner was special in that he could absorb time and score runs, but that quick scoring wasn't a requirement of an opening batsman in Test cricket.
โI don't know where this myth started that you needed someone to score really fast," Khawaja told the publication.
โAs an opener you're trying to score runs and you've got five days to do it.
โWe didn't have one Test match go for five days, last year. Opening is as much about scoring runs and just being able to absorb that time.
โDavey was special. He could score runs while absorbing. He could sometimes score 100 of 100 balls but he didn't do it every time. Sometimes it took him 170, 180 balls to get that 100.
โHe was consistent, he was out there, he was setting a platform for guys later to come in and score runs.
โThose two are both very important things, and I think Nathan does that really well. He can score runs, but he can also bat time.
โThey're really important facets to have in Test cricket if you want to set games up.โ
McSweeney's selection also raised eyebrows given he bats at number three for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield, but he has been backed in by selectors to get the job done for Australia in replacing Warner.
Australia may be looking for a second opening option before long, with Khawaja approaching the end of his own career, although he has given no indication he is looking to retire anytime soon at this stage.
The first Test between Australia and India, to be played in Perth, gets underway on November 22.
