Australian cricket great Mark Taylor has called on the national selectors to make a decision on David Warner's future as swiftly as possible, warning the Aussies risked heading to England for the Ashes with an unsettled side.

Warner's tour of India ended in miserable fashion last week, with the veteran opener returning to Australia with a fractured elbow and concussion he sustained in the second Test in Delhi.

The 36-year-old did not bat in the second innings as Australia lost nine wickets in 90 minutes to allow India to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-Test series. 

Warner averages a modest 26.04 in 25 innings in England and while Australia retained the Ashes on the 2019 tour, he averaged just 9.5.

'Is it time to start thinking about the future? You don't normally do it around Ashes time, normally you would do it post-Ashes,' Taylor told Nine's Sports Sunday.

'Normally you take a very settled side to England, with maybe one batter you think is going to be your future, and that's the side you pick.

'We're not quite there at the moment and they're not sure which way they are going to go.'

Warner's brilliant double ton against South Africa at the MCG in the Boxing Day Test was his only century in Test cricket since January 2019 and his future at the top of the order is increasingly under a cloud. 

He made score of 1, 10 and 15 in three innings of the Border-Gavaskar series in India, taking his average in the country to 21.78.

There have been warning signs the end is near for Warner, with the left-hander explaining he felt 'exhausted, tired' ahead of the tour. 

However, he has insisted he wants to continue playing Test cricket for Australia.

'I've always said I'm playing to 2024; if the selectors feel that I'm not worthy of my spot, then so be it, and I can push on to the white-ball stuff,' Warner told reporters at Sydney Airport as he arrived back in Australia last week. 

I've got the next 12 months, a lot of cricket's ahead for the team and if I can keep scoring runs and putting my best foot forward for the team and I can help my spot, it'd be great for the team.

'It's easy pickings [for critics] when you're 36 going on 37.'

Former Australian captain Allan Border suggested the selectors should drop Warner before this winter's Ashes, arguing the opener's struggles in India may accelerate a change at the top of the order.

And Taylor believes Warner's comments could force the selectors' hand.

'Dave has come out and said he wants to be around until 2024, so he wants to go to England later this year, he wants to play in Australia next summer,' Taylor said.

'To me, the selectors have got to make a decision.

'Whether they take David Warner and one of probably [Cameron] Bancroft or [Matthew] Renshaw to England, and Dave would be the first opener picked.

'Or they make a decision now and say "We're going to take the two younger guys [...] we're going to make a change right now."

'That's the decision they've got to make.'