The quirks of the Buck and Bull union

They might now sit seventh on the list of Australia’s all-time most productive Test opening combinations, but the partnership between Chris Rogers and David Warner is scarcely a seamless union.

An examination of anything other than cricket’s seemingly inexhaustible reams of data would suggest the pair share nothing other than their job description – that being ‘left-hand opening batsman’.

A brash young extrovert teamed with a measured, introspective veteran.

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An in-your-face social media devotee with an impossibly cute infant daughter paired with a quiet, single reader of books (yes, the print on paper variety) who has spent years self-consciously hiding his considerable repertoire of dance-floor moves (see below from last year's Ashes celebrations).

And now, as Rogers (the second-mentioned in those broad-brush character studies above) has revealed, it seems the notion that at least they gel when together at the crease owes more to myth than merit.

Much like the bowlers worldwide who have battled from ball one of an innings to find a means by which Warner’s bullish strokeplay can be curtailed, Rogers admits to feeling a tad over-awed when the thrashing machine is operating at the other end of the pitch.

You get the feeling that Rogers lets loose a sigh of silent relief if Warner is the first dismissed in their opening stands – which as of today have yielded an aggregate of 1,333 runs which takes them past Bill Lawry and Keith Stackpole (1,302) on the Australian openers’ honour roll.

A milestone achieved on the Victorian pairing’s home turf no less.

And with skipper Michael Clarke publicly backing for 37-year-old Rogers to be part of next year’s Ashes campaign, the incumbent pairing can see contemporary predecessors Simon Katich and Shane Watson (1,523) as well as the legendary combination of Geoff Marsh and David Boon (1,871) squarely in their sights.

Of course, as a consummate team player Rogers would never openly admit to wishing Warner lose his wicket first to grant him some breathing space.

It’s just that Rogers can understandably feel a bit like a grandparent on child-minding assignment when Warner is going – sensing the pressure to keep pace with the frenetic tempo being set and yet aware he’ll pay a price down the track if drawn into that game.

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“I know it probably doesn't seem like it, but at times it can be a little bit intimidating batting with Davey,” Rogers explained after he posted his third consecutive half-century of the series in the first innings, an effort replicated today when he scored 69.

“He scores so quickly that you can look up and think 'I'm not scoring quick enough, I'm not being aggressive enough'.

“So I think at times I've probably got out trying to force it a little bit up the other end from Davey.

“Maybe it helps me just calm down a little bit after he gets out.”

As is so often the case in cricket, there is no shortage of statistical evidence for whatever premise one attempts to stand up.

In this case, that Rogers’ individual cause benefits when the pace car exits the circuit.

Like the second innings in Cape Town earlier this year when – having scored 39 of the 123 opening stand that came as Warner blazed yet another century – the senior partner was run out trying to scramble back for a second run to keep the strike.

Or the fact that the first three of Rogers’ four Test centuries have come after Warner was dismissed cheaply – for three, 25 and 16 at Chester le-Street, Melbourne and Sydney.

Even as recently as today.

Warner began like a train and clubbed the first two deliveries of Australia’s second innings to the boundary even though he had no feeling in the left thumb he injured while batting in Brisbane, and “excruciating” pain in the right forearm that was damaged in the practice nets on Saturday.

He motored to 40 before losing his wicket, at which time Rogers had remained quietly in his shadow compiling 15 before blossoming into an array of shots once the partnership was broken.

It was a change not lost on the Channel Nine commentary experts, among them Clarke who observed it was no coincidence that Rogers often struggled to establish the rhythm of his innings while Warner was routinely making the bowlers look second-rate at the other end.

During this discussion, as the ever present zoom lenses revealed, Warner was tuned into the TV soundtrack as he nursed his bruises in the dressing room.

“I heard the commentators today say that when I get out he (Rogers) gets on with it, so it was quite funny from them,” Warner confessed at the close of play this evening.

“We complement each other when we're out there.

“It's happened before where he's got off to a flyer as well and I've had to rein it in a fair bit.

“I thoroughly enjoy opening the batting with Chris.

“We communicate very well out there and he keeps me in check as well.

“When I'm going, he usually says to me to ‘keep going and still respect that good ball’ and it's vice-versa.

“When he was facing (India spinner Ravi) Ashwin today and he played a sweep shot, I went down to him and I said ‘we spoke about playing straight, you've got to do that - that's what we have to do to see (Ashwin) through’.

“So he (Rogers) quickly adjusted and did that.”

It seems that even the opening partners’ respective assessments as to the strengths and limitations of their union is open to interpretation.

Depending on the set of eyes through which it’s viewed.