One of the most
important thing in life is to achieve those things which other people think you
can't and then, when one not only achieves them but also succeeds, it becomes a
great success story. The career of Australian veteran opening batsman Chris
Rogers is a similar story where he made his debut at the age of 30 against India
at Perth in 2008, to be dropped and ignored by selectors for 5 and half long
years. But, Rogers’s never say die attitude kept him pushing and with tons of
first class runs and no settled openers for Australia, selectors had no other
option but to recall 35-year old Rogers for the away Ashes Series in July 2013.
Learning from previous mistakes, Rogers grabbed his opportunity with both hands
as he never looked back from then on and now stands at the end of short but successful
Test Career as he plans to retire at the end of 5th Test of the
ongoing Ashes series at Oval.
Debut:
Matthew Hayden’s
hamstring injury paved the way for Chris Rogers as he made his debut on 16
January 2008 against India on his home ground at WACA, Perth. Rogers had a
disappointing debut as he contributed only 4 and 15 with the bat and Australia
lost the Test by 72 runs. Rogers’s dismal show with the bat and with Hayden
getting fit in time for 4th Test at Adelaide saw Rogers being
dropped and he had to wait for another five and half long years to earn his
second Test cap.
Rogers’s Second
Coming:-
Back to Back Ashes,
2013 & 2013-14:
With problems at the
top, Australian selectors preferred experience over young blood and Chris
Rogers, at the age of 35 made the cut for England trip as Australia were keen
to regain the Ashes. With just couple of fifties in three Tests, Rogers was
having an ordinary series till Manchester Test and then came his moment, the
moment he thought would never come as he brought up his maiden Test hundred in
fourth Test at Chester-le-street amidst difficult times.
His innings was full
of character, grit and determination as he repaid the faith of selectors and
showed everyone that he certainly belonged to this level. However, Australia’s
hopes of regaining the Ashes remained as a distant dream as England won the
Ashes 3-0.
 |
| Rogers celebrates his maiden Test Hundred, 10 Aug 2013 |
Series Stats:
|
Matches
|
Innings
|
Runs
|
Average
|
50
|
100
|
|
5
|
9
|
367
|
40.77
|
2
|
1
|
Performances in England
helped Rogers to keep his place in the side intact for the Ashes series down
under as Australia were desperate to end the draught by winning the first Test
of the year. Rogers, similar to Ashes series in England, managed just couple of
fifties from first three tests, but, the boxing-day Test match at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground proved to be the biggest turning point as far as his Test career
was concerned.
Rogers scored gritty 61 runs in first innings and brilliant 116
in second innings as he lead Aussies to a dominant 8-wicket victory over
England and gave them unassailable 4-0 lead in the 5-match series. Second Test
hundred paved the way for third as Rogers struck fabulous 119 at Sydney to
complete demolition as Australia humiliated England with a 5-0 whitewash, last
test lasting barely for 3 days. By the end of Ashes Series down under, Chris
Rogers was already a hero and his method and technique though old and ugly was
well appreciated within the cricket fraternity.
 |
| Turning point of his Career, century at MCG, 29 Dec 2013 |
Series Stats:
|
Matches
|
Innings
|
Runs
|
Average
|
50
|
100
|
|
5
|
10
|
463
|
46.30
|
3
|
2
|
Against South Africa
in South Africa, Feb-Mar 2014:
The series against
South Africa was a tough one for Chris Rogers as he was close to be dropped from
the side. With the scores of 4, 1 & 5 from three previous innings and with
a daunting target of 448 runs against quality South African attack, Rogers was
under enormous pressure in 2nd innings of 2nd Test. But,
Test Cricket is not for the weakened heart and Chris Rogers stood tall with a gutsy
107 as all other chips fell all around him. His 107 was in vein though as
Australia lost the match badly, but, he showed everyone that he is a big match
player and had the temperament to rise to the occasion especially, when his
team needed him the most. Australia won the 3-match series 2-1.
Series Stats:
|
Matches
|
Innings
|
Runs
|
Average
|
50
|
100
|
|
3
|
6
|
181
|
30.16
|
0
|
1
|
Against Pakistan in
UAE, Oct-Nov 2014:
Chris Rogers, just like
majority of his other team-mates had a disappointing series with the bat.
Rogers scored 38 and 43 in the first Test while barely managed 5 & 2 in the
second Test as Australia got hammered 2-0.
Series Stats:
|
Matches
|
Innings
|
Runs
|
Average
|
50
|
100
|
|
2
|
4
|
88
|
22
|
0
|
0
|
Against India at
Home, Dec-Jan 2014-15:
With disastrous series
against Pakistan and being at the wrong side of his age, Chris Rogers’s place
in the side was in doubt for the home series against India. However, with his
hundred for Victoria against South Australia, he impressed the selectors once
again and managed to keep his place in the side. He had an ordinary first Test
at Adelaide as he scored only 9 & 21. But, the bad days were behind him and
Rogers hit 6 fifties in as many innings from the next 3 Tests and became the
Mr. Consistent for Australia. Rogers narrowly missed out on his hundred in the
4th Test at SCG as he was bowled for 95. Rogers had a good summer
with the bat as Australia clinched Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 2-0 win and
slowly, but surely the nation was coming out of Hughes’s tragic death incidence
that left the entire Cricketing World shell-shocked just at the start of
summer.
Series Stats:
|
Matches
|
Innings
|
Runs
|
Average
|
50
|
100
|
|
4
|
8
|
417
|
52.12
|
6
|
0
|
Chris Rogers missed a
two-match series against West Indies in June 2015 in the Caribbean due to
concussion.
Farewell Series,
Ashes, England 2015:
Rogers was making a
comeback after concussion and had already announced that Ashes series would be
his last international assignment. Rogers started off the series well with a
patient 95, but Australia’s batting failure in both the innings saw them lose
the first Test at Cardiff by 169 runs.
In the 2nd Test at Lord’s,
probably came the proudest moment for Chris Rogers as he struck magnificent 173
at his second home ground and Australia annihilated England by 405 runs to square
the series. Chris Rogers’s 52 in first innings at Birmingham was the only thing
for Australia to cheer about as Anderson’s six-for crushed Australia for mere 136.
Rogers’s innings was all about skill, application and temperament as he batted
along focusing on his job, forgetting all the chaos that was happening all
around him. Rogers hit another fifty in 2nd innings of 4th
Test, but, that wasn’t enough as Australia were comprehensively beaten in both
3rd and 4th Test, thanks to collective batting failure. Rogers, Warner and Smith were the only
Australian batsmen who looked who could score some runs.
 |
| Rogers is ecstatic after reaching his hundred, Lord's, 16 July 2015 |
 |
| Chris Rogers makes his way out to bat in his final Test, Oval, 20 Aug 2015 |
Series Stats:
|
Matches
|
Innings
|
Runs
|
Average
|
50
|
100
|
|
5*
|
9
|
480
|
60
|
3
|
1
|
Career Stats:
|
Matches
|
Innings
|
Runs
|
HS
|
Average
|
50
|
100
|
|
25*
|
48
|
2015
|
173
|
42.87
|
14
|
5
|
Chris Rogers’s career
is an inspirational story not only for budding cricketers but also for senior
sportspersons who are passionate about their game and are willing to put the
hard work at each and every stage of their career. Neither his colour blindness
nor his age stopped him from chasing his dreams as his calm presence at the top
would be certainly missed by Australia, especially by his opening partner David
Warner.
WELL DONE CHRIS
ROGERS!!!
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