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No place like home for Aussie opener

Australia unfazed by David Warner's performance in Kandy as his record abroad comes into focus

David Warner's double failure in the first Test against Sri Lanka has brought into focus the only real blemish on the opener's otherwise impeccable Test record - his performances away from home.

Passed fit to take his place at the top of Australia's batting order following his recovery from a fractured finger, Warner chopped on to Sri Lanka seamer Nuwan Pradeep for a duck in their first innings at Pallekele Stadium, his first competitive hit since scoring a century against South Africa in the ODI tri-series six weeks ago.

The 29-year-old then completed statistically the least successful of his 52 Tests to date when he departed for one in the second dig as wily tweaker Rangana Herath got one to sneak low and clean bowl the advancing opener with the new ball.

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It continues Warner's below-par run of form in Test cricket from the tour of New Zealand earlier this year, where Australia's vice-captain managed just 39 runs at 13 in his three innings.

The series in NZ followed a home Test summer that included twin tons in Brisbane, a double century in Perth and another hundred in Sydney, and his finger injury last month brought to an end a golden run of form in white-ball cricket, highlighted by his triumphant Indian Premier League campaign with the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Despite a lack of match practice and the two early dismissals in Kandy, Australia's caretaker batting coach Stuart Law says there are no alarm bells.

"First innings, he just looked like he wasn't sharp and he openly said it himself, he missed out on a half-volley," Law said of Warner after play on day four.

"And today, we all saw what happened; it rolled under his bat and didn't bounce very high and those things happen.

"We're not concerned about his form, we're not concerned about where he's at with his game. He's been in similar conditions before in India and he's knows what to expect.

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"The old saying (applies), 'you should see him hit them in the nets': he's hitting them like a genius. He just needs to translate that from the nets into the middle.

"He's feeling good. His finger is OK, it's not 100 per cent but it's definitely not bad enough to stop him scoring runs."

Warner's disappointing start to the Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka does however continue the recent trend of his effectiveness being curtailed in overseas Tests.

In 27 matches on Australian soil, the left-hander has 12 hundreds to his name and holds an imposing average of 60.56. But from his 25 Tests abroad, Warner averages 38.37 and since recording his most recent Test century on foreign soil – 133 in Dubai against Pakistan in October 2014 – he averages 31.65 away from home.

And while neither of those figures represent a colossal weakness, it's a significant dip by the New South Welshman's lofty standards.

Especially considering the left-hander demonstrated he possesses the ability to make runs abroad in a remarkable stretch of form in early 2014.

His run began with a second-innings 115 against a South African attack featuring Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander at Centurion, his maiden Test hundred outside Australia.

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Warner followed that with back-to-back half-centuries in Port Elizabeth before going one – or two – better with twin tons (135 and 145) in Cape Town to spark a memorable victory over the Proteas.

The purple patch, which yielded 664 runs in six hits, culminated in that fighting century against Pakistan in Dubai. But while his record at home remains excellent, he's since battled for runs on the road.

With a tour to India looming early next year, not to mention the current series in Sri Lanka, Australia's bid to retain the mantle of the world No.1 ranked Test side could be determined by whether Warner can again conquer foreign conditions.