Horror Ashes figures lay Australia's opening batting woes bare

Australia officially has an opening batting situation.

David Warner, despite the one gutsy half century to his name, has struggled in every other innings so far this series.

Originally partnered by Cameron Bancroft, the West Australian batsman was dropped for the third Test defeat at Headingley after failures in all four of his innings over the first two Tests.

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Bancroft could only manage scores of 8, 7, 13 and 16 after his impressive efforts in Australia's tour game saw him replace Marcus Harris as Warner’s opening partner.

Those four meagre scores saw selectors promptly swing the axe, with Bancroft making way for Harris for the third Test.

Any hopes that Harris could continue the form that saw him light up the last Sheffield Shield season were quickly curtailed as he only managed scores of eight and 19 at Leeds.

All three openers have been struggling for runs first and foremost, as well as any sort of consistency.

The Aussies would have hoped for the fourth Test to finally usher in an opening partnership to take the pressure off their middle order.

Those hopes were dashed after just four balls when Stuart Broad dismissed Warner for the fifth time this series.

Broad’s wicket means the highest opening partnership the Aussies have been able to muster so far this series is the 13 that Warner and Bancroft contributed in the second innings of the first Test.

The grim reality wasn’t lost on cricket viewers on social media.

Warner's miserable Ashes campaign has continued at Old Trafford with the Australia opener falling for a second-ball duck - once again to Stuart Broad.

Warner, who has scored just 79 runs in seven innings with 60 of those coming in the first innings of the third Test at Headingley, attempted to leave the fourth delivery of the first over but deflected it to Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps.

The former vice-captain has now been dismissed five times for 32 runs in the series by Broad and registered single digit returns in six visits to the crease.

He averages just over 11 for the series - his worst run of form since making his Test debut in 2011.

Warner is also only the fourth opener in Ashes history to register at least six single figure dismissals in a series joining Australia's Colin McDonald (1956), Jon Dyson (1981) and Mike Atherton (1997).

Broad has now dismissed him 10 times - the most by any bowler with former Australia skipper Michael Clarke the only player he has dismissed more times with 11.

"It's a tentative leave ... you're trying to feel your way in, it's not easy," Shane Warne said on Sky Sports.

"He's (Broad) all over him like a cheap suit."

Harris became Broad's second victim when he was trapped in front and given out LBW a short time later.

Harris sent the decision upstairs for review, with DRS revealing no inside edge from the Aussie before it hit his pad.

Ball tracking came back 'umpire's call' meaning Harris had to follow his opening partner back to the pavilion for just 13 runs.

Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne steadied the ship to get the Aussies back into the contest.

Smith, marking his Test return from concussion, and Labuschagne were unbeaten on 28 and 49 respectively when Australia went into the lunch break at 2-98.

With AAP