Adelaide – Australia's failure to convert promising starts to punish England was the “big disappointment” from Thursday's opening day of the second Test in Adelaide, opening batsman Chris Rogers said.
England held Australia to 273 for five at stumps after David Warner (29), Shane Watson (51) and Rogers (72) all gave up their wickets with poor shots after being well on top of the tourists' bowlers on a tame Adelaide Oval wicket.
“We spoke about if you get in on this wicket, you've got to make it count,” Rogers said.
“That's probably the big disappointment for today, there was a lot of starts. But a lot of us have contributed. And if we can keep going and get 400, that's going to be a very competitive score.”
Sent in with Warner after Australia won the toss and opted to bat, Rogers was relieved to find some form after failing in both innings in the opening test which the hosts won by 381 runs in Brisbane.
The late-blooming 36-year-old played his first Test in 2008 against India in Perth but managed only 19 runs and had to wait another five years before his second when he was a surprise call-up for the year's first Ashes series in England.
Despite being part of a side beaten 3-0 in that series, Rogers struck a defiant 110 in the fourth Test at Chester-Le-Street but still feels far from cementing his place in a fragile top order.
“A bit of a sleepless night last night. At my age, probably two bad games is a bit dangerous,” he said. “So it was important to get some runs on a pretty good wicket today.”
Rogers rued a missed chance to get his second test century and suggested he still remains susceptible to the guile of spinner Graeme Swann, who had him caught behind to wicketkeeper Matt Prior and dismissed him six times in the first Ashes series.
“Of course, if you get to that total, you want to go and make it count. But that ball spun from out of nowhere, probably would have got me out quite a few times if I faced it again,” he said.
“I felt better today, but he still got me out. It's still a challenge, no doubt about it. He's a class bowler, particularly against left-handers. Hopefully there's a few more battles to come.” – Reuters