Former Australian cricket captain Bill Lawry has backed incumbent Steve Smith and rates David Warner as one of the best opening batsmen of his lifetime.
Like Warner, Lawry was a successful and prolific left-handed Test opener, but stylistically they're polar opposites.
A dour and obdurate accumulator, Lawry averaged 47.15 over 67 Tests, while rapid scoring strokeplayer Warner averages 48,98 after 55 Tests.
Warner was one of Australia's few success stories from their opening Test loss to South Africa in Perth earlier this week, scoring 97 and 35.
That defeat was Australia's fourth in a row after being swept 3-0 in Sri Lanka, but Lawry maintained faith in Smith's leadership despite the team's recent form slump.
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"Smith will be a great captain, he's a super young player and he'll do well," Lawry said.
He's got Warner, who is one of the best opening batsman we've produced in my lifetime, so aggressive and so athletic so we've got something to build on.
"We've just got to get an attack that's steady and some batsmen that can make some runs and we might have to be patient for a while."
Lawry on Wednesday evening was inducted as a Bradman honouree at The Bradman Foundation's Gala Dinner at the SCG.
"Bradman was the chairman of the Test selctors all the time I played, he was also chairman of selectors when I got dropped," Lawry quipped.
Also inducted on Wednesday was another left-handed Test opener, former South African captain Graeme Smith.
