Chris Rogers

Australia's captain Michael Clarke believes the hardy union of Chris Rogers and Steven Smith on the first day of the Lord's Test was the performance that decided the match

Whether it is true or not that Michael Clarke made a last-minute decision to call 'heads' at Lord's, the early signs in this series are that the toss of the coin will be vital

Stats highlights from a crushing Australia victory at Lord's

Australia's strong position in the Lord's Test was overshadowed on the fourth morning by the worrying sight of Chris Rogers retiring hurt after an apparent dizzy spell as he stood at the non-striker's end

Australia's second-wicket stand at Lord's had stood since 1930 - and the partnership involved a chap named Bradman - but now it belongs to Australia's latest batting sensation and an older star aiming to bow out on a high

Chris Rogers' tour of England has been more vexing than he had hoped. A century on his adopted home ground of Lord's, in league with Steven Smith who made another, meant the second Investec Test was different

The pitch against New Zealand, just a couple of months ago, was a brilliant Test surface that brought fascinating action so what has happened?

Stats highlights from the opening day of the second Test between England and Australia

Chris Rogers and Steven Smith placed Australia in a dominant position on the first day at Lord's, where they reached 337 for 1 at stumps

The lack of a backlift restricts the Australian opener's range of strokes, especially the drive, but he has managed to use his limitations to his advantage

Behind Darren Lehmann's blokey exterior lies a coach, and one with a number of headaches to ponder

Chris Rogers may not be shiny and new and won't play for a generation but his glut of fifties have made him a crucial cog in this Australia machine

Australia's top order's eagerness to attack saw them gift England wickets, with Moeen Ali especially profiting from a blind spot against spin

Any England supporter with the vaguest sense of Ashes history would have felt mild trepidation as they defended a first-innings score of 430 on a sunny Cardiff day

Mitchell Marsh has done everything within his power to press for a spot in Australia's first Test XI, leaving Shane Watson to prove his fitness as a bowler next week or risk being dropped from the side

If Chris Rogers hoped the "ticketgate" incident had blown over, news that the MCC has launched a formal investigation will have provoked a rethink

Shaun Marsh began his Ashes tour with a century against Kent to stake a claim for retaining his spot in the Test side but there were also runs for Chris Rogers

Australia's batsman Chris Rogers admitted his plan to offer hospitality around his batch of Lord's tickets was 'naive,' but he claimed it stopped well short of deception