Mark Taylor insists David Warner can still turn his fortunes around quickly in England, pointing to the revival of his own career at the start of the 1997 Ashes.
Warner will enter the World Test Championship final against India at the Oval beginning on June 7 as the Australian under the most pressure. Set to return to the team after injury ended his tour of India earlier this year, Warner is clinging onto the opening role after only one triple-figure score in Test cricket since January 2020.
Coach Andrew McDonald stressed last week that Warner had a role to play in the Ashes, indicating he was guaranteed selection for more than just the WTC final. Regardless, runs will be vital for the 36-year-old.
Taylor entered the 1997 Ashes as a left-handed opener in similar circumstances, having gone 20 innings since reaching 50 in a Test match. He was caught behind off Devon Malcolm for seven in the first innings of the series, prompting the admission to his parents that he could well drop himself for the next match.
Ultimately, he made a career-saving 129 in the second innings at Edgbaston to help draw the Test before Australia went on to retain the Ashes 3-2.
"In the second innings I made a hundred and I felt better, the team felt better, and away you go," former Test captain Taylor told AAP.
"With David, it can change really quickly because he is such an aggressive player. It can change for him in an hour.
"He can go from 0 to 60 in an hour. And all of a sudden he is on top. It can change the momentum, not just of his own innings but a Test match.
"That is the beauty of David Warner."
Taylor's career flourished again after that blip, with his famous 334 not out against Pakistan in 1998 one of four centuries in the final 18 months of his career.
Warner has no ambitions to extend his Test career that long, but runs at the Oval or in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston could give him a similar control of his fate.
Taylor also sees more immediate importance to Warner scoring runs early in England.
Warner's battles in the 2019 series in England and against Stuart Broad were well known, scoring just 95 runs at an average of 9.50 for the series.
His 61 at Headingley was also the only score by an Australian opener above 20, as Broad also ran through fellow left-handed opener Marcus Harris.
Australia could have similar challenges at the top again in 2023 as Warner, Usman Khawaja, Harris and Matt Renshaw are all left-handed.
"That will be in the back of the mind somewhere," Taylor said.
"You obviously go into every series with a clear and fresh mind ready to take on the challenge. But particularly with Broad and Warner, Broad has had Warner's number.
"David is going to have to overcome that, which can be overcome in an innings. All of a sudden you make a good hundred and you're away."