Australia's captain Pat Cummins also dismissed the "completely made up" suggestion that Warner and Smith would walk away at the Oval and said they were focused on the task at hand.
Australia opener David Warner praised his junior partner Matthew Renshaw for catching the Indian team off guard with his gutsy performance in the first Test despite being under the weather.
Australia opener David Warner will play no further part in the second Test against India after suffering a concussion when he was struck in the head while batting on Day 1, the team said on Saturday.
Apart from Renshaw's inclusion in place of Warner, there are no changes to the squad which beat Pakistan by eight wickets in the third and final test to sweep the series 3-0 last week.
The debate over the vacant slot at the top of the Australia batting order continues to captivate the nation's sports media a month before the opening clash in a blockbuster five-Test series against India.
Australia's selectors decided against sending any out-of-form batters Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to play for the Prime Minister's XI against India.
Veteran Australian batter Cameron Bancroft staked a claim to the vacant opener's slot post David Warner's Test retirement, saying a 'specialist' should be considered for the position.
Images from Day 1 of the third Test between Australia and South Africa at the SCG on Wednesday.
There weren't many words exchanged but India still played hard cricket, says Australia opener Matt Renshaw.
Rajneesh Gupta presents some interesting numbers from Day 1 of Pune Test.
David Warner has been under pressure after a poor run of form with the bat but returned after injury to the 17-man squad for the June 7 WTC final against India at The Oval and the first two Ashes Tests.
Mitchell Starc smashed an unbeaten half-century to steer Australia to 256 for nine on a difficult pitch on the opening day of the four-match series in Pune on Thursday.
Players at this month's Australian Open will not be required to take COVID-19 tests and could play even if they had the virus, tournament director Craig Tiley said.
Opener Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson will all play their first Tests at Adelaide Oval after selectors wielded the axe following the Hobart humiliation, which gave South Africa an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
David Warner will have a big Ashes and have backed him to deliver at the top of the order.
Mitchell Starc is likely to be available for the second Test against India but captain Pat Cummins has ruled out overhauling the squad.
Warner has struggled for runs in recent Tests, making a total of 26 in three innings in the recent tour of India before returning home injured.
Former Australia player Shane Watson said star all-rounder Cameron Green has all the means to succeed as a Test opener.
Tempers flared again in the ongoing battle between fierce rivals India and Australia with pacer Ishant Sharma and young opener Matt Renshaw getting involved in a heated exchange on day five of the third Test in Ranchi.
Warner's participation was considered doubtful for the next red-ball assignments for Australia, especially after his horrendous run in India with the bat.
Australia took a 48-run lead on the back of some solid batting by Matt Renshaw and Shawn Marsh on Sunday. Statistical highlights on day two of the second cricket Test between India and Australia, in Bengaluru.
Australia laboured to a modest 263 all out on the opening day of the second Test against India in New Delhi
Allan Border opened up on the team's selection and said Australia overthought during the first Test in Nagpur.
Australia great Ricky Ponting has weighed in on the David Warner selection debate and thinks Australia should stick with the opener.
Nathan Lyon said there was enough recovery time for Warner before the third Test beginning on March 1.
Patel smashed 74 and dominated his 114-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Ashwin to rescue India
David Warner hit a record century inside one session and his fellow opener Matt Renshaw a maiden hundred over three as Australia reached 365 for three at close of play on the opening day of the third Test against Pakistan on Tuesday.
Jadeja raised 81 runs for the unbroken eighth wicket with Axar Patel (52) to drive home India's advantage.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan, in Brisbane, on Thursday.
Pakistan's Azhar Ali and Younus Khan forged a 120-run partnership to stall a rampant Australia on day two of the third and final Test in Sydney on Wednesday after a Peter Handscomb century had helped drive the hosts to 538 for eight declared.
"He (Harris) is the in-form player of the competition and has an outstanding record over the last two years. I would have liked to have got (Matt) Renshaw in there, but he hasn't scored enough runs," Lehmann told Macquarie Sports Radio.
Australia captain Steve Smith struck a cultured unbeaten century on Thursday to steer Australia to 299 for four wickets on the opening day of the third Test against India in Ranchi, signalling he has put the review controversy at Bengaluru behind him.
Srikar Bharat's splendid hundred and his century stand with Kuldeep Yadav put India A in command over Australia A in the second unofficial Test at Alur, Bengaluru, on Monday.
Australia's selectors have responded to the threat of a first ever Test series sweep on home soil by dropping five players from their squad for the third match against South Africa, which begins in Adelaide on Thursday. Joe Burns, Adam Voges and Callum Ferguson, as well as wicketkeeper Peter Nevill, paid the price for a string of batting collapses, while seamer Joe Mennie was also axed after the innings defeat in the second Test in Hobart.
Images from Day 2 of the third Test between Australia and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday
Australia captain Steve Smith reached a career-high 939 rating points which are the sixth-best ever after Don Bradman (961), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs and Ricky Ponting (both 942) and Peter May (941).
Young opener Matt Renshaw (60) and experienced Shaun Marsh (66) battled hard against the Indian spinners and their fighting half-centuries consolidated Australia's position in the match but Virat Kohli's captaincy left a lot to be desired.
Ravichandran Ashwin tore through Australia in their second innings to set up a comprehensive victory for India by an innings and 132 runs inside three days of the spin-dominated opening Test.
Australia named five uncapped players in a raw tour squad to play Pakistan in a Test series in the United Arab Emirates, while recalling pace veteran Peter Siddle for the first time in two years and dropping middle order batsman Peter Handscomb.
Steve Waugh wants Shaun Marsh to open alongside David Warner when Australia take on India.
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