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Australian opener Chris Rogers has decided that the fourth and final cricket Test against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground will be his last on home soil as he aims to finish his seven-year-long career in the Ashes series this year.
The 37-year-old Rogers, who made his Test debut against India in Perth in January 2008, might have played just 19 Tests till now but the New South Wales batsman has made up his mind to hang up his boots against arch-rivals England.
"You never say, never but I kind of looked at the future and thought the England series and what England has meant for me would be a nice way to finish," Rogers was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘Hopefully I can get through to the Ashes’
"So hopefully I can get through to the Ashes. But if this is the last one then it's definitely not the worst one to go out on. I think you get to a point where touring can be quite difficult. Playing a lot of cricket can kind of get to you a little bit in the end so I'm looking forward to maybe new challenges as well, but they can wait for the moment," he added.
Rogers has given the home team many a good start in the three Tests against India so far, but the left-handed batsman has failed to convert his half-centuries into bigger scores. But David Warner's opening partner believes that four fifties in this series so far is not bad a contribution.
"To feel like I wasn't contributing, that did get a little bit under my skin. So it's nice just to feel like I'm doing a good job for the side and particularly when there's been a couple of times when it's been quite tough and they've been quite crucial runs," Rogers said
"I guess from there it'd just be excellent to go on and get a big score personally. But at least I think I'm doing a little bit of a job for the side."
The Ashes would not be the ideal environment for a newcomer, but next summer at home against New Zealand and the West Indies "would be a good time for a newer player to come in", Rogers said.
"I think personally a new guy trying to play in the Ashes in England would be very difficult. That's hopefully on my side so I'll keep saying that," Rogers said.