In the yin and yang world at the top of the Australian Test batting line-up, Ed Cowan is under no misapprehensions about who represents which half of the complementary forces.

“He’s a feel player,” Cowan says of excitement machine David Warner.

“I’m a thinking player and he’s a feel player.

“You just let him go and bat.

“He’s analytical in his own way but one of his strengths is, when he’s playing well, he’s very clear in how he plays well.”

After 11 Tests opening alongside Warner, Cowan sees the partnership as a work in progress.

“We’re learning to bat with each other and that’s part of it,” he said on Sunday ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka starting on Boxing Day.

“Just understanding when he’s going, not to rein it in on my behalf, but when to feed him strike or to try and keep him away from strike if he’s getting a little too excited.”

An important part of the deal for Cowan is not getting distracted from the task at hand if Warner is doing the bulk of the scoring.

“Cricket isn’t about how many runs I get or how many runs he gets,” he said.

“I know if I don’t get any runs, (the media) are going to fire a few bullets or, if he doesn’t get runs, you’re going to fire bullets.

“But it’s about partnerships.

“If he’s 60 and I’m five and we’ve had a 65-run partnership, we’re doing a fantastic job.”

Cowan made an impressive 68 on his Test debut in the corresponding fixture last year against India.

Since then, he has racked up 646 runs at an average of 34.

Coach Mickey Arthur told Cowan and Warner the other day they had been the most successful Test opening pair in the world in 2012.

“But if you asked us what we thought, we’d probably say we’re going OK,” said the 30-year-old Cowan.

“It feels as though there is lots of upside there.

“And hopefully if we both keep improving the way we are, then it can be a long-term thing.”