• Rogers on track for third Test

    Chris Rogers is shaping up well in his bid to play the third Ashes Test, having trained for almost an hour on Sunday.

    The opener successfully made it through his first hit in the nets since retiring hurt on day four of the second Test due to a dizzy spell.

    It was a low-key session indoors, with rain bucketing down in Birmingham as Rogers received some throwdowns from Darren Lehmann. The 37-year-old still has a lot of work to do to prove his fitness by Wednesday, when the third Test starts at Edgbaston.

    The squad’s pacemen are expected to be unleashed on Rogers when Australia train on Monday, their main session before attempting to go 2-1 up in the five-Test series. If he makes it through that taxing examination with no discomfort or balance issues, Rogers is likely to be retained in the XI.

    He ticked every box required on Sunday, one week after complaining of the Lord’s grandstand moving in the midst of an alarming dizzy episode. Rogers warmed up with some light jogging then strapped on the pads to face Lehmann and offspinner Nathan Lyon.

    The left-hander unleashed a couple of sweetly-timed drives under the watchful eye of team doctor Peter Brukner and physio Alex Kountouris. Rogers also practiced some rigorous running between the wickets, later returning for a close-in catching drill.

    He did it all without any obvious sign of the inner-ear issue triggered by a bouncer blow to the helmet at Lord’s.

    ‘He will continue to increase his level of activity over the next couple of days and will be closely monitored,’ Brukner said when Rogers returned to camp on Friday night. ‘He needs to be free of all his symptoms, whether it’s fatigue or dizziness.’

    If Rogers is unable to take his place in the side, Shaun Marsh will open alongside David Warner. Marsh is in impressive form with the bat, having scored centuries against Kent and Derbyshire in his only two chances to shine on the tour of England.

    Marsh also recently filled in at the top of the order in the West Indies, where Rogers was unable to play both Tests due to concussion. – AAP

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    SA CRICKET