The pitch, the weather, the bowling, the fielding, it was all made for opening batsmen on day one at the SCG, and David Warner and Chris Rogers made it count while paying rich tribute to another opener: Phillip Hughes
Daniel Brettig in Sydney06-Jan-20154:01
‘Rogers, a tough cricketer’
Phillip Hughes was an opening batsman. Though his numerous shifts in the Australian Test team covered most positions in the top six, his life’s first occupation was as part of that unique breed of cricketer happy to face the ball when it is brand new and in the hands of a fresh, fired up fast bowler.Among many tributes assembled for Hughes over these past six weeks, two of the most striking were unveiled on the first day at the SCG. The plaque bearing his face and name at the entrance to the home dressing room afforded him a rare and entirely suitable honour, ensuring he will always be remembered at the place where he first showed himself to be a talent not only rare but of international class.More transient but equally striking was the gesture offered up by David Warner when he reached 63, Hughes’ final resting place as a batsman. Turning to the spot on the ground where Hughes fell, Warner knelt down and kissed the turf. The former Prime Minister Paul Keating once acknowledged Australia’s fallen World War Two soldiers of Papua New Guinea in this way, and it is an act commonly taken by the Pope on his arrival in a new land. From a cricketer as abrasive as Warner it was unusually tender, and movingly fitting.But the greatest tribute paid to Hughes on an unfailingly sunny day and blameless pitch was shared by Warner and his wise older partner Chris Rogers. Taking on India’s bowlers and neutralising any chance of early wickets, they assembled an opening union of precisely 200, their best stand together in what is likely to be the last home Test they play together.They rejoiced in a helpful toss won by Steven Smith and the chance to take first strike, as Hughes invariably did. They made a brazen start, as Hughes often did. They settled in after those early blows for a long occupation, as Hughes commonly did. And they revelled in each other’s boundaries and milestones, as Hughes always did.Warner’s efforts in this series have been laudable as proof he can sustain the brilliant heights of last summer while under the most intense emotional strain imaginable. He has spoken frankly and often of the battle to deal with his memories of the day at the SCG when Hughes was struck, cradled in Warner’s arms and then resuscitated by his side. He has admitted that on the first morning of the series at Adelaide Oval his early flurry of boundaries were not premeditated but the least he could do to move beyond the images of Hughes’ death.They have also confirmed that Warner can fight through physical stresses too. His left thumb is still bandaged and painful after a shuddering blow at the Gabba, and his right arm is also sporting additional protection after a blow in the nets in Melbourne. There are also suspicions about recurring soreness in his right elbow, a problem he has faced in the past and evidence of which could be glimpsed through the odd unwieldy throw at the MCG. None of this, however, has affected his batting – all power, poise and pugilism.Rogers’ trials have been of slightly different shades, though no less vexing. When he returned home from the UAE in November, his 37-year-old body and mind were throwing him plenty of signals that time was running out. Over more than a decade he had become used to a a life of dual seasons, playing for Western Australia then Victoria at home before plying his trade with Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Middlesex in the northern summer. But the addition of Test match rigour to that schedule had taken a toll, and his early innings of this series were far from promising.In Brisbane there was the additional trial of a heavy hit to the back of his helmet when fielding at short leg during the Gabba match. Rogers’ reaction was considerably distressed, not so much at the pain inflicted by the blow as inevitable thoughts about what had befallen Hughes, and whether after so many years facing up to the red leather he was about to run out of the modicum of good luck all batsmen need. In that moment, an instant retirement would not have been out of the question.But Rogers forged on. An aggressive second innings in Australia’s nervy Brisbane chase showed his ability to read situations more swiftly than others, and a stolid Boxing Day occupation blunted India’s last chance to take a foothold in the series. He was useful in the second innings also, and grew further in fluency here. If this is Rogers’ final Test match in Australia, he will be leaving while team-mates and crowds wish for more, not less.”He knows when time’s up,” Warner said of Rogers. “He wants to finish the way he wants to finish. I looked at his numbers the other day – 70 first-class hundreds, over 20,000 first-class runs, a fantastic career and he’s batting the best he has in the last 18 months I’ve seen. We keep talking about it in the middle, keep pushing each other to excellence. He feels this could be his last home series. I hope and think he will be there in the Ashes and hopefully we can win that series, and if he thinks that’s time to call it quits I’m pretty sure he’ll make his mind up.”For the opening batsman, to win the toss and bat first is to allow all the preparation of the preceding few days to be completely worthwhile. Bowling first and then having as little as 10 minutes to be ready for the start of an innings is the sort of challenge repeatedly faced but never enjoyed. Warner admitted to hating it.”As much as you can, as an opening batsman, you want to go out there and bat, you don’t like waiting,” he said. “The most uncomfortable thing for an opening batsman is if you bowl first you always know you’re going to be either in at the end of the day’s play, the next morning, could be just after lunch, you just don’t know and it’s an unknown, having 10 minutes to get ready… We love going out there and batting first, and we’ll always do that I’m pretty sure when we win the toss.”Warner’s innings was chanceless, wavering most in the moments before he reached 63 against R Ashwin bowling over the wicket – the same bowler ultimately dismissed him with a useful offbreak. Rogers offered up one edge that KL Rahul should have taken, and the unfortunate bowler Mohammed Shami had belated recompense when his opponent offered a slightly crooked drive and edged onto the stumps when 95. Rogers threw his head back almost as the ball passed his bat, knowing there were plenty more runs to be had.The pitch, the weather, the bowling, the fielding. All were made for opening batsmen this day. Warner and Rogers made the most of it, in a manner that Hughes would have loved. It was a good day for Australia’s opening batsmen, all three of them.
