Rogers to open with Watson

Chris Rogers will make only his second Test appearance at Trent Bridge

1 July 2013

Veteran Australia batsman Chris Rogers will open the batting alongside Shane Watson in the first Ashes Test, new coach Darren Lehmann has confirmed.

Lehmann, who replaced Mickey Arthur in a hasty reshuffle by Cricket Australia just over a week ago, had already suggested that Watson would be returning to the top of the order and has named Rogers as his partner.

At the age of 35, Rogers has just one Test cap to his name, scoring 15 and four against India in 2008. The news means David Warner, banned until the start of the first Test at Trent Bridge on July 10 after punching England's Joe Root in a Birmingham bar, is unlikely to feature.

CA tweeted on Monday afternoon: "Darren Lehmann confirms Shane Watson and Chris Rogers will open the batting for Australia in the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge."

Australia take on Worcestershire on Tuesday in their final warm-up match, with Rogers and Watson both in the side.

Ed Cowan, who had been a first-choice opener under Arthur, also plays but will presumably bat at number three and seems highly unlikely to make the XI in Nottingham.

Rogers knows English conditions better than most of his Australia team-mates, having captained Middlesex during the first part of the county season and also enjoyed previous stints with Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.

He boasts an impressive first-class average of 50.38, with 60 hundreds to his name in 239 matches.