Australia had a lot to prove in the second Test at Lord’s, and they got the chance to seize on it after Michael Clarke won the toss and chose to bat.
A couple of changes were made for the second Test, with Shane Watson being dropped for Mitch Marsh, and Peter Nevill replacing Brad Haddin, who withdrew from the match for personal reasons.
A flat track meant the top order had to perform in the first innings, or face another embarrassing result to add to the woes of Cardiff.
More Ashes:
» Rogers and Smith lay England flat
» Day 1 highlights and scores
» Chris Rogers does it his way
» Ashes news and opinion
In a much more impressive morning, Chris Rogers and David Warner set the tone early, bringing up the first 50 in 12 overs.
Three overs later, Moeen Ali made the breakthrough yet again, with Warner going after one too many mistimed shots, getting caught at long-off for 38.
Steve Smith and Rogers continued to progress steadily through to lunch, ending the session at 1/104.
The middle session was slower-paced, but again successful for Australia. In the early parts it was slow going, with Smith and Rogers looking to set themselves again.
They were definitely looking to play the long game, putting on 87 in the session for no wicket loss. Smith was also looking like his old self, grinding out his first half-century of the series.
England had no answer to the Australian batsmen, and a few dropped catches may prove just as crucial as Root being dropped on zero in Cardiff.
Australia went to tea at 1-191.
Rogers looked tense on 87, a few tense overs providing the commentators a chance to remind everyone about the superstition surrounding 87 here in Australia, before finally grabbing a single and moving off the dreaded digit.
A runout chance almost deprived Rogers yet another century while he was on 97, when Smith pushed a quick single taking the strike for the next over on 98.
The very next ball clinched it for Smith, a forward pull shot flying down to the boundary, sealing his first century at Lord’s. A couple of overs later Rogers made his breakthrough, scoring his first century in nine international Test innings.
Smith and Rogers continued to grind away, bringing up their 200-run partnership in the 74th over. They continued to move strongly towards the end of play, with Rogers moving past 150 in the 87th over.
England’s day was pretty much summed up when Rogers edged the ball in the last over of the day, falling just short of the slips cordon, finishing a very strong first day of play on 1-337.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
The mammoth rise of Jake Fraser-McGurk - his enormous potential and the destructive shot-making that he possesses makes him a very tempting option.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
The Aussie needed every centimetre of his height and reach to reel that one in!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed 21 off the final over...but after three sixes, a caught and bowled and a run out, Mitchell Starc's Kolkata had…
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
