Published: Aug 11, 2013, 11:42 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 23, 2014, 10:01 PM (IST)
Chris Rogers scored his maiden Test century on Day Two of the fourth Ashes Test against England at Chester-le-Street © Getty Images
Chris Rogers scored his maiden Test hundred on Saturday and ensured that Australia kept the upper hand over England in the fourth Ashes Test. Stuart Broad was the bright spark for the home side. Nishad Pai Vaidya discusses the competitive duel between Rogers and Broad on Day Two at Chester-le-Street.
Cricket’s oldest rivalry continues to produce enthralling days for the classical format. The sport isn’t only about pilling the runs on the board, but an even contest between bat and ball is what makes it beautiful. It is a “Test” of every inch of a player’s skill, patience, persistence and temperament. Day Two of the fourth Ashes Test at Chester-le-Street had all the classic elements of Test cricket and although Australia may have their nose slightly ahead, England are very much in the game. The battle that signified the whole affair was one between the two stars of the day — Chris Rogers and Stuart Broad.
In this series, a lot of the focus has been around James Anderson, who is arguably amongst the best fast-bowlers currently. Broad has therefore been eclipsed in many ways but this was his day. Bowling to left-handers, he looked a class apart and chalked out a strategy. Using the conditions, he bowled at an angle leaving the left-hander. At times, there was copious movement and then there were moments when it only deviated subtly. The stock delivery was the one that came into the left-handers, surprising them. David Warner was tricked by one that came back at him, while Usman Khawaja was foxed by the subtle movement.
At the other end, Rogers watched the proceedings and took guard calmly when he faced Broad. He was resolute, compact and determined from the outset. The 35-year-old’s story is fascinating. Not many know that he is colour-blind and short-sighted — which is difficult at times for him to see the ball. Yet, he is an opener — a profile that requires a good eye for a possibly vicious new ball. And, he walked into a Test series when no one expected him to don the Baggy Green again. All this only made him more determined and focused on the job at hand. Years of experience at the domestic level (county cricket) in particular was bearing fruit.
Broad unleashed those dangerous away going deliveries and had squared Rogers up on more than an occasion. The ball kept moving past his outside edge as the slips exclaimed in hope. Those that came in also had Rogers in a spot. On one particular occasion, he was caught in such an awkward position that his feet were off the ground as he tried to ward one off. Then of course, came the Decision Review System (DRS) drama, which for a change favoured Australia. Rogers survived those scares and also watched his edges fall short off the fielders.
Although Rogers moved past fifty, he didn’t look in complete control when he faced Broad. It was only his determination and grit that helped him survive. Undeterred by those scares, Rogers was up for the challenge. Broad literally threw the kitchen sink at him, but that was met with a strong wall like resistance. In 58 balls Broad bowled to the Australian, Rogers scored 23 runs. Out of those 58 there were as many as 46 dot balls. This only reflects the kind of patience Rogers showed while tackling the tricky seamer.
It is only during the last two games that Darren Lehmann’s decision to open with Rogers has started to make sense. With all the county experience behind him, he did bring a whole new aspect onto the table. But, is it a long term plan or only meant for the assignment at hand? Rogers is 35 and Australia are known to drop players when they reach a certain age on the wrong side of that number. However, his brave display would win him the belief of the selectors and perhaps he can still carve out a decent Test career.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_44)
