Australian opener Usman Khawaja has backed his new opening partner, Nathan McSweeney, to succeed in Test cricket. Khawaja believes McSweeney's ability to both score runs and bat time will serve him well in the longer format.

Australia's Usman Khawaja said his new opening partner Nathan McSweeney should not feel the need to imitate the quick-scoring approach of David Warner in the test series against India.

McSweeney will make his test debut in the series opener in Perth next week, the 25-year-old given the chance to make the role his own following Warner's retirement earlier this year.