Warner seeks end to Windies worries

David Warner has dominated almost every bowling attack he's faced with one glaring if rather surprising exception: the West Indies.

In two Tests series against the West Indies Warner averages just 26.9 against the Caribbean team, far and away his lowest return against any nation he's faced in Test cricket.

The aggressive left-hander managed just 98 runs in two Tests in the Caribbean in June, 62 of them coming in the second innings in Jamaica. His average of 26.9 from five Tests against the Windies - all played in the Caribbean - is well down on his career mark of 50.48.

Warner will perhaps never have a better opportunity to assert his dominance over the tourists when the Commonwealth Bank Test Series begins in Hobart on Thursday, coming into the series in blistering form having scored 592 runs at 98.66 against the Black Caps.

Yet when Australia toured the Caribbean in June Warner struggled against the bowling of right-arm quick Jerome Taylor.

Taylor had Warner's measure during the Tests in Dominica and Jamaica, dismissing the opener for 8 and 28 in Dominica before snaring him for a three-ball duck in the first innings of the second Test in Jamaica.

"They're going to come real hard in the first session, that's what we expect," Warner said of Windies new-ball pair Taylor and Kemar Roach on Sky Sports Radio.

"We expected that in the West Indies as well and that's what they did.

"They got early wickets against us then we had to play a sensible game, trying to playing straight and battle the conditions over there.

"The conditions over here are a little more in favour of the batsmen, you can play your shots, but they've got pace, they've got spin on their side."

In both winter Tests, Australia found themselves on the back foot early thanks to Taylor, with the opening pair of Warner and Shaun Marsh producing partnerships of 13, 42 and 0 before finding form in the second innings at Jamaica's Sabina Park, each scoring half-centuries in a 117-run opening stand.

Taylor was particularly potent on the Sabina Park deck in the second Test, removing Warner and Marsh to leave Australia 2-16, before finishing with 6-47 from his 25 overs having also accounted for Steve Smith, Adam Voges, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin.

"Jerome Taylor likes to get it full and swings the ball. A high percentage of his wickets are pretty much caught behind so that's something we have to take note of," Warner said.

"Roach is also a very good bowler, he can swing it away and angles it into the right hander.

"We've got to be on top of our game as well. Don't take it as gospel that we'll beat them comprehensively, because we know what they're like."

While the Windies were disappointing in their first and only warm-up match, losing to a young Cricket Australia XI by 10 wickets in Brisbane, Warner said there would be no mercy for the tourists.

"We have to come out and execute our skills as well as we can," he said.

One bright spot for the West Indies in the tour match came from skipper Jason Holder, who took 4-76 before top-scoring in the second dig with 65.

Holder, who turned 24 last month, made his Test debut in mid-2014 and has played just 11 Tests, but his level-headed approach saw him handed the national captaincy in September.

The right-arm quick, who also boasts considerable talent with the bat, has won plenty of fans – including Warner – with his ability to lead from the front in difficult circumstances.

With West Indies in trouble at 6-119 against Australia in Jamaica, Holder stepped in at No.8 with an unbeaten 82 from 63 balls, helping his team to 220.

"You wouldn't believe he's 24, he's got a good calm head on his shoulder," Warner said.

"He's a quiet guy who is always calm. His batting can be phenomenal.

"He is tall, puts the ball on a length, not overly fast but gets the job done. He's going to be their workhorse this series."

Despite Mitchell Starc's injury woes and Mitchell Johnson's retirement testing Australia's fast-bowling depth, Warner is backing the likely attack of Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and Pattinson bowlers to perform.

It will also be the first time since August 2013 Australia has fielded an attack without a left-arm quick.

"Obviously we're missing (Starc) and with Johnson retiring, it's going to be a big thing for us," Warner said.

"But at the end of the day we've got a lot of bowling stock around the country and the guys they've brought into the team are great bowlers with great records."