Australia vice-captain David Warner believes his team is desperate for a good partnership at the top, if they are to combat the threat of the Indian spinners during the middle overs in the ongoing One-Day International series between the two teams.

Chasing a revised target of 164 runs in 21 overs in the first game in Chennai, Australia succumbed to 35 for four allowing spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav to dictate terms as they picked five wickets between them to restrict the visitors to 137 for nine.

Even in the second game, a brilliant display of swing bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar saw both Warner and Hilton Cartwright dismissed for one run each and Chahal wrapped up Travis Head and Glenn Maxwell to set a platform for Kuldeep, who claimed a hat-trick and helped India complete a 50 run victory at Eden Gardens.

When asked on whether the Australian batsmen find it tough to read the wrist spinners, Warner insists that facing the spinners following a good start will be a different ball game.

"I find that the players can read the spinners," he said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday. "And that it's the odd one or two that when they can't see the seam, then the players react off the wicket and that's probably the odd one here or there.

"At the end of the day, you have to have a game plan against spin - whether or not to hit down the ground or sweep the ball. But when you're losing wickets in clumps, you become tentative.

"So you have to apply that pressure. If you get off to a good start and the spinners come on, it's a different game then.

"It's about the tempo of the game, and the situation of the game and I feel if we were in a different position, you'll see a different mode against the spinners."

Australia had to open with make shift opener Hilton Cartwright in the absence of Aaron Finch, who has been struggling with an injury that he picked in training ahead of the warm up game.

However, Finch has been seen in the nets trying hard to make a comeback ahead of the third game in Indore and Warner believes the 30-year-old can make a lot of difference at the top.

"He's a very good batter and he's played a lot of cricket for us over the last couple of years. He's got a lot of experience and for us at the top of the order he brings a lot of aggression.

"It's good signs to see him back in the nets and he's doing everything possible he can to be fit for this game."

© Cricket World 2017