David Warner says Usman Khawaja isn’t the only Australian batsman who should be feeling pressure, with the former Test opener calling on the rest of the top six to score big runs after a lean start to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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Khawaja has scored just 34 runs in the first two Tests and has reached 50 in just one of his past 16 innings for Australia.

But he isn’t the only one desperate for runs with Steve Smith adding just 19 to the total in his three innings this series, while Marnus Labuschagne secured his position with a handy 64 in Adelaide.

Travis Head has been the only Australian player to score a century this series after his blistering 140 last week, and Warner has called on the batters to dig deep in Brisbane to give the quicks a deserved rest.

“I think the pressure is on all the top order, not just ‘Uzzie’,” he said.

“Travis came out and counterpunched and scored a brilliant hundred, and we know he’s capable of doing it. But it’s everyone else around supporting that.

“It’s not just one player in particular, it’s the top six scoring bulk runs and making sure you’re giving rest to the fast bowlers.

“It was a fast-paced Test in the first game, but this last one was Mitchell Starc at his best as usual with the pink ball.

“Come Brisbane, we need to see some big runs from the top order.”

Warner’s replacement at the top, Nathan McSweeney, has struggled at times but showed what he’s capable of with a dogged 39 in the first innings after surviving a brutal test of his technique under lights.

“He’s had four of probably the five hardest jobs when it comes to an opening batsman, and I think he’s handled it well,” Warner said.

“We saw glimpses the other day of the intent that you show when you’re scoring, and there are a lot of question marks around why they chose him, but the glimpses that you’ve seen, we now know why.

“He’s got a good temperament, I like the way he sets up, and I think he’s got a good future ahead of him.

“It’s just this bowling attack from India is relentless if they bowl in partnerships. If they bowl like they did the other day with just (Jasprit) Bumrah, hopefully the boys can score some big runs against them.”

There have been calls for young gun Sam Konstas to come into the side if Khawaja continues to struggle at the top of the order, but Warner – who will captain him at the Thunder this season – has called for patience.

“That’s up to the selectors,” he said.

“They would have picked him if they thought he was ready by now.”

And with Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka looms large in just six weeks time, several international white-ball stars such as Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell are set to, if they haven’t already, throw their hat in the ring for the continental series.

But with the Big Bash League starting next week, the aforementioned duo have no remaining red-ball games for their state before the squad jets off to play the Lions – making their case for the tour much harder.

Warner, who was a long-time teammate of Maxwell, told CODE Sports’ Daniel Cherny that his lack of four-day cricket of late may make his hopes of a Test squad recall that little bit too hard.

“If you’re not being picked for your Shield team, then why do you deserve it? You’ve got to actually want it, to want to play four-day cricket,” Warner told CODE.

“Unless he’s putting his hand up, he’s playing all the club cricket stuff and all that, to want to play Test cricket. He in my (opinion), doesn’t deserve that opportunity.”

Maxwell’s sole red-ball appearance this season came for Victoria’s 2nd XI against Queensland, where he managed 24 runs across two innings.

“I just don’t think you can keep putting your hand up to say, ‘I want to play just that.’ You know, it’s like me saying I just want to play in Australia, like you’ve gotta be seen to be wanting to do the work grind it out and do that,” Warner added.

Maxwell’s last Test came against Bangladesh in September 2017, with a career average at the top level in the format of 26.07.