Matt to join Dave at top

MATT Renshaw and David Warner appear set to open in the first Test starting tomorrow, after combining forces for Australia’s main training session in Pune.

Coach Darren Lehmann had left the door slightly ajar for Usman Khawaja to pinch Renshaw’s spot at the top of the order, but yesterday’s hitout indicated the 20-year-old remained poised to play.

Khawaja faced mostly net bowlers, while Australia’s go-to men Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe put Warner and Renshaw through their paces.

The clear training strategy has seemingly gone a long way to ending any mystery surrounding Australia’s preferred XI for tomorrow’s start against an Indian side that have gone 20 Tests undefeated at home.

Steve Smith and Lehmann spent a period yesterday sizing up the Pune wicket, but at this stage it would seem O’Keefe and Lyon as the spinners, Starc and Hazlewood as the quicks and Mitchell Marsh as the allrounder would form a fiveprong bowling attack.