This past week, Chris Rogers the vestibular case has been getting a lot more attention than Chris Rogers the opening batsman
Daniel Brettig27-Jul-2015This past week, Chris Rogers the vestibular case has been getting a lot more attention than Chris Rogers the opening batsman.Rogers’ meticulous and scene-setting 173 at Lord’s has been almost entirely overshadowed. First Steven Smith’s coruscating 215 took the headlines. Then it was the conjecture over whether Rogers could recover from the dizzy spells and fatigue caused by a blow to the head that gave him a rare case of inner ear trouble but not, fortunately, concussion.Now, Rogers is only the slimmest chance of not playing in the third Investec Ashes Test at Edgbaston, having faced up to Australia’s pacemen in the nets at the team’s main training session and not shown any signs of his former wobbles. The touring side’s eagerness to have Rogers available speaks volumes for the value of his contributions thus far in the series. After a week of tribulations, he is eager to do more.”I was probably a little bit dubious and initially after the Test I thought it might be a little bit difficult, but I felt pretty good over the last few days and see no reason at the moment not to play,” Rogers said. “It just looked like it [the pavilion] was going from left to right and almost like my eyes were jumping. A really bizarre sensation and kind of scary. I wouldn’t have been able to continue, that’s why I went off.”It was a really weird sensation. I’ve never had it before and I must admit for the first few days I thought there was something seriously wrong. But after all the tests and seeing the specialists, they cleared me of any serious damage. That was really good news.”It’s still a bit of a day by day basis but so far, so good. I’m pretty positive and desperately want to be a part of this. But I know full well that I’ve got to look after myself first and foremost. If I declare myself fit and the medical staff declare me fit then I will be right to play.”In the hours after he sank to his haunches at the non-striker’s end, Rogers was genuinely worried about what it all might mean. Another concussion so soon after he missed two Tests in the West Indies may have done him permanent damage, and he admitted that if the prognosis had been an issue of brain rather than ear he would have retired on the spot. But the findings of the experts have eased his worries, and should leave his mind uncluttered when he walks out to bat alongside David Warner.”If it was concussion I would have definitely thought about maybe that was it,” he said. “But speaking to that specialists they ruled that out and said it was just a completely different injury, so that helped. I’m aware that I’ve copped another one, but that happens.”If anything I probably wasn’t expecting it that ball, it was the first ball of the day and I thought I might get a nice little cover drive or something first up, but he really surprised me. I’ve got to be aware of these things. To have those kinds of sensations is a little bit bizarre. Getting hit in the head it’s always a worry, particularly at this stage of my career, but it’s part and parcel of what I do.”The hardest thing to know is fatigue, in training sessions you can push yourself quite hard, but fatigue’s going to be an interesting one. That’s a little bit of a concern, but at this stage everything seems pretty good.”England have made it clear that once Rogers walks out onto the field, he will be offered no quarter in terms of short balls. But having seen the well-grassed strip being prepared for the Edgbaston Test, Rogers reckoned any preoccupation with trying to use the bouncer may actually help him to succeed.”I’m not stupid, I know they’ll come even harder at me, but who knows?” he said. “It looks like a green wicket so if they’re bowling short that may work well for me. They’ve still got to pitch it up at some stage, but I know full well they’re going to come hard, that’s part and parcel of opening the batting.”After a week as a medical marvel, Rogers can now get back to what he does best – batting, bunting and blunting the new ball.