Rogers the latest Ashes casualty as retirement is confirmed
Published:
Of all the cricketing carcasses the Ashes has claimed over the last two series, only one player will depart international cricket with his reputation on the surge, rather than the wane.
Chris Rogers, Australia’s 37-year-old opening batsman, confirmed in the run up to the final Test of the summer, at the Oval, that it will be the last of a career reborn.
After making his debut with knocks of 4 and 15 against India at the WACA in 2008, Rogers would need to wait five years for another crack at the whip.
When he got the nod for the 2013 Ashes in England, he didn’t want to let the opportunity slide by. In scoring the most runs of all players in the back-to-back series that year and early 2014, the man known as Buck secured his Test spot.
Since then, Rogers has played the dependable partner to David Warner’s cavalier approach at the top of the order and has won high praise in the current Ashes battle for his ability to fight in the face of adversity.
In his usual demure fashion the Middlesex man confirmed his intended retirement, saying: “I think it is time, I have had an amazing couple of years playing for Australia and enjoyed it and been part of some pretty special things but everything comes to an end and I have been pretty lucky.”
A farewell hundred in his last match would be a fitting finish for a man that has recorded just one duck in 47 Test match innings’ and averages 42.86.
Ladbrokes make him 5/1 to do so, with 5/6 offered that he scores over 30.5 runs in the first innings in London.
Leading his side with 437 runs in the series at a rate of 62.42 suggests both of those prices look far too good to ignore.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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