For openers, Poms enjoy field day over our odd couple

FOR a couple of blokes who apparently can’t stand the sight of each other, Chris Rogers and David Warner looked pretty good out there for a while.

Question is, would Warner have kept his head – and his wicket – longer than 15 overs, 38 runs and a partnership of 78, if he and Rogers had the close relationship of, say, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer?

What started as a pebblesized mention in a newspaper last week about the contrasting personalities of the pair, describing them as “not close”, has gathered strength with each re- telling. Not close, has become, “dislike” and, at last telling, “don’t talk”.

Former England playerturned commentator David Lloyd described a scenario during the first session at Lord’s where one might walk up the pitch to the other and ask, “is it swinging?”, only to be told, “I’m not telling you”.

The last time Australia played at Lord’s, Warner was in exile after belting England batsman Joe Root in a pub.

This time, he began the tour in the doghouse with coach Darren Lehmann and captain Michael Clarke after suggesting in an interview they had sent him into matches with instructions to sledge rivals.

Clarke made a point of setting the record straight in his first press conference after arriving in England. Warner’s stocks in the dressing room won’t have improved after falling twice in consecutive innings to rash shots.