Ashes 2015: Steven Smith and Chris Rogers hit centuries to make England toil

Steven Smith and Chris Rogers both scored centuries as Australia completely dominated the first day of the second Ashes Test against England at Lord's.

Smith (129 not out) and Rogers (158 not out) put on an unbeaten 255-run partnership, the latter reaching his highest career score in Tests, as the tourists produced the perfect repost after their heavy defeat in Cardiff, to close on 337 for 1.

David Warner (38) was the only man out to Moeen Ali but it was a rare positive for an England side who toiled for much of the opening day on a surface which offered little for the bowlers.

Alastair Cook's side already face playing the role of survivors for the remainder of the match with Australia having nine second innings wickets in hand going into day two.

Questions must surely be asked over the one-paced nature of the pitch at Lord's prepared by the ground-staff surely to nullify the Australian pace-attack, which has instead inadvertently negated England's own seamers.

Having been dominated in the first Test, a much-changed Australia were aiming to do justice to their tag as pre-series favourites in the blue-ribbon Test of the Ashes.

Peter Nevill and Mitchell Marsh were as expected named in the tourists' side, with Moeen Ali being included in the England team following late fears over a side problem.

With the opportunity to grab the initiative having won the toss, Australia set about asserting their dominance with the bat; but those ambitions almost unravelled in the first over.

Rogers slapped James Anderson over Joe Root at third slip from the third ball of the match as England's seamers enjoyed plenty of movement in the first hour.

Though Stuart Broad had both Warner and Rogers playing and missing, that was where the positives ended for England as the humid conditions were replaced by ideal surroundings to bat.

While Rogers, the Middlesex opener playing on his home ground, adopted a typically dogged stance the attack came from partner Warner who pilled on the runs in the opening stages.

But his eagerness to punish anything wayward from England was eventually Warner's undoing as after ten came from Moeen Ali's first over he attempted to chip over long off but only picked out James Anderson in from the boundary.

The New South Wales batman's frustration was clear for all to see as he left the field, and given what would follow as the opening day unfolded his anger would only have swelled.

Smith's arrival at the crease was accompanied by far greater caution despite the favourable conditions as Australia strolled to lunch on 104 for 1.

As the day progress it became increasingly clear that only mistakes, akin the one which saw Warner dismissed, would give England a breakthrough which they badly needed.

Rodgers went to his half century off 95 balls while Smith continued to be aggressive against Ali with a spate of boundaries off the part-time spinner.

The century partnership was brought up without alarm and a chance for England didn't come until Smith went to his 50, as he edged Ben Stokes to Ian Bell, who fumbled the ball at second slip.

It would be a mistake which England would regret as first Smith went to his 10th century, before Rogers overcame a nervy spell to go to the fifth three-figure score of his international Test career.

The partnership between the two was now past 200 as a pitch which had offered a hint of seam movement and swing in the first hour showed its true colours as Australia filled their boots without any threat from the hosts.

Though England took the new ball in an attempt to grab a moral-boosting wicket in the twilight of the first day, Australia were unperturbed as Rogers went to his 150 as he and Smith surpassed 250 for the second wicket to complete their day of dominance.