Need to tackle Indian spinners better in middle overs: Warner

Holding the team's batting failure responsible for the opening T20 loss, Australian batsman David Warner today said the hosts need to play smarter cricket against the Indian spinners and take full advantage of the big stadiums Down Under.

Apart from skipper Aaron Finch's 44, the rest of the Australian batting surrendered meekly against the Indian attack.

And Warner, who fell to debutant medium-pacer Jasprit Bumrah (3-23) for 17, wants to learn from his mistakes.

"During those middle overs a lot of us get carried away trying to play too many big shots and not trying to take advantage of the big fields in Australia. I think in India you can actually get away with trying to hit boundaries cause it's a bit smaller and with either side of the fielders around the bat, you can actually get a more value for your shots," Warner told reporters here ahead of the second T20 game at the MCG on Friday.

"But definitely your basic batting wasn't there last night (in Adelaide) and that's trying to get twos on the big field."

Shane Watson (2-24) was the pick of the Australian bowlers in India's tall score of 188 for three in the first T20 match and Warner welcomed his teammate's return to the international fold.

"Obviously his form over the last 18 months hasn't been as good as he would like. He knows that; we all know that. We always want him performing to the best of his ability and the one thing I think he's at strength is his bowling.

"It's such a great thing to see him work harder than that. In the Big Bash also he scored a lot for his side. last night (in first T20) I saw glimpses of him actually bringing it back a little bit for us. In the end his addition would be fantastic for us throughout middle overs and we know what he is capable of with the bat," said Warner.

The southpaw was also all full of praise for Steven Smith's contribution as a leader (in ODIs and Tests) and as a batsman.

"I think Steve Smith is probably going to bag well and truly. He's been a fantastic player in the last 24 months," Warner said about Smith's chances of bagging back-to-back Allan Border medals.

"The way he's matured and appeared in time. He feels no pressure out there when scoring runs. He's got a free mind when he goes out there. It's a great thing for the team at the moment and he deserves the accolades he gets," he said.

"I hope one day a bowler can get all this (awards) as they work off their backsides especially in these years, very, very tough for them. They always get my vote on these tough wickets," Warner added.