Rogers backs Marsh to retain Test opening role

Former Australia opener Chris Rogers feels Shaun Marsh should be the man to partner David Warner at the top of the order in November's first Test against South Africa in Perth.

Australia batsman Shaun Marsh has been backed by Chris Rogers to retain his spot in the team.

Former Australia opener Chris Rogers feels Shaun Marsh should be the man to partner David Warner at the top of the order in November's first Test against South Africa in Perth.

Marsh was recalled for Australia's third and final Test in Sri Lanka last month and made 130 in the first innings, albeit in a losing cause as the hosts wrapped up a 3-0 series whitewash.

That knock from Marsh followed a score of 182 in his previous Test outing, against West Indies in December 2015.

Rogers therefore believes it would be extremely harsh if Marsh were to lose his place again, even though fellow opener Joe Burns made two centuries in four matches prior to registering four low scores in Sri Lanka.

"I like Joe Burns and have a lot of time for him, but Shaun, in his last two Test matches he's got hundreds," Rogers told Cricket Australia's website.

"To not get picked would be very difficult for him [Marsh], particularly with the Indian tour looming where you'd back him to be one of the first picked now.

"Maybe he's going to be irresistible [to select], although I wouldn't discount what Joe's got to offer. He still has the ability to learn and get better and get away from those tours and think about where he went wrong.

"But perhaps maybe in this point in time Shaun might just edge it over Joe."

Although Burns failed to reach double figures in three of his four knocks against Sri Lanka, Rogers has tipped the 27-year-old to bounce back.

"I think he's got so much time ahead of him," said Rogers, who made his Test debut at the age of 30 but did not make the second of his 25 international appearances until he was almost 36.

"It's easy to get frustrated and down on yourself and question where you're at but what he achieved last summer in particular [scoring hundreds against West Indies and New Zealand] was impressive.

"There's no way he'd be going back to the end of the queue. He's one of the next few in.

"There's a lot of motivation for him. Sometimes you've just got to accept that players are allowed to play well and jump above you and that just makes you want to be a better player."