Ashes 2019: Chris Rogers reacts to Steve Smith imitating him by wearing glasses post Manchester Test

Australia retained the Ashes in Manchester a couple of days ago and the visitors celebrated the moment to the hilt later. They should’ve won the series by now only to rue the fact of not being able to close the game at the Headingley with Ben Stokes and Jack Leach denying the visitors with a heroic last-wicket stand in an epic chase. Rather, Leach wiping his glasses to score a historic single which tied the game hogged more limelight than ever.

Interestingly, after winning the Old Trafford Test by 185 runs, the Man of the Match Steve Smith was seen wearing the glasses and batting left-handed in a team huddle later in the evening. Many felt that he was mocking Leach over his glasses after a dramatic finish in Leeds.

However, the Aussie coach Justin Langer later cleared that Smith was mimicking his former teammate and Australia opener Chris Rogers who had taken a brilliant catch back in 2013-14 in Perth to regain the Ashes. Rogers has now opened up on Steve Smith’s gesture and is feeling honoured for the same.

I don’t know why people are getting offended

Chris Rogers received the picture of Steve Smith wearing the specs on his mobile the next day of the Test match and was surprised. However, he didn’t pay much heed to the talking going around the incident and felt that the players were having fun after a well-deserved win.

“He sent me that pic, I woke up to that pic this morning, saying he’d done it in honour of me. Whether I’m a smokescreen, I’m not exactly sure. I was touched anyway to have got a message from him. They looked like they were having fun,” the left-hander told The Grade Cricketer podcast.

Rogers also recalled the catch he had taken in 2013-14 Ashes to win the series in Perth and how he had later enacted it by catching the beer bottle. Jack Leach had also done the same after England won the Headingley Test. “After we won the Ashes in Perth in 2013-14, I managed to take a catch. I went and re-enacted the catch by catching a beer bottle at the time.

“All these things come around, it all happens. I don’t know why people are getting so offended. Who cares? It was all a bit of fun,” Rogers further added.