Former Australian head coach Darren Lehmann has raised concern over David Warner’s form. Warner returned with scores of 1, 10, and 15 in the three innings of the Border-Gavaskar series against India as he failed to get going at the top of the order before he was ruled out with an elbow injury.

The southpaw recently said he still aspires to be part of the Australian Test team and has no immediate plans to call it a day in the red-ball version. However, Warner doesn’t have a great record while playing in the English conditions as he hasn’t yet scored a century there.

Moreover, the left-hander has been consistently troubled by Stuart Broad from around the wicket angle. Lehmann feels Warner could be demoted in the batting order and in-form Travis Head can open the innings with Usman Khawaja in the Ashes.

Speaking on SENQ Pat and Heals, Lehmann said, “David Warner, if he’s in form, he’s got something to add. The issue for me would be he’s been there three times and hasn’t made a 100. I thought in the last Ashes series he should bat down .the order and bat five or six, something different, because he can really expose their bowling down the order. We just keep him as an opener but David Warner, if he’s not succeeding at the top, could bat down, you could swap Warner and Head. Sometimes you’ve got to think outside the box to see who’s going to succeed.”

Former Australian all-rounder further feels Warner will be retained in the Ashes squad against England.

“Broad and Anderson are going to be quite difficult and Warner’s struggled with that in England, so whether they get him there or not will be a selectors’ call. My gut feel is they’ll take him in the squad (for the Ashes), but will they play him? I’m not so sure. But if you take him in the squad you might as well play him, or don’t take him at all.”

There is no doubt that pressure is piling on David Warner to deliver the goods for Australia while opening the innings.

The first Ashes Test will begin on June 16 at the Edgbaston, Birmingham.