Shaun Marsh should open with Warner in Tests: Chris Rogers

Chris Rogers, the former Australian opener, has backed Shaun Marsh, the 33-year-old left-handed batsman, to be David Warner's opening partner for the forthcoming Test series against South Africa and Pakistan, later this year.

Rogers noted that Marsh, who has scored two hundreds in his last two Test outings, has done enough to replace Queensland's Joe Burns, as Warner's regular partner for the upcoming home summer. Having missed out on the first two Tests during the recent tour of Sri Lanka, Marsh reminded his critics about his ability to play long innings - making 130 in the third and final Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC), after replacing Burns at the top of the order.

It turned out to be Marsh's second successive Test hundred after he made a career-best 182 in his previous innings against West Indies at Bellerive Oval, Hobart, in December 2015. However, he couldn't secure a permanent spot in the batting line-up, and was replaced by Usman Khawaja for the next Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

During the recently-concluded three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, Burns struggled to counter the home team's spinners and with an Indian tour looming early next year, Rogers said that Marsh has the game for all conditions.

"I like Joe Burns and have a lot of time for him, but Shaun (Marsh), in his last two Test matches he's got hundreds," Rogers told cricket.com.au.

"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 added.

Rogers, though, reckoned that Burns has it in him to stage a comeback. "I think he's got so much time ahead of him," he said.

"It's easy to get frustrated and down on yourself and question where you're at but what he achieved last summer in particular 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. But perhaps maybe at this point in time, Shaun might just edge it over Joe," Rogers summed up.