Robinson in spotlight again after McCullum reveals Ranchi fitness issue،
As England suffered the collective disappointment of their series defeat, head coach Brendon McCullum defended Ollie Robinson after a difficult first outing in India. But Robinson finds himself at another crossroads in a Test career only in his third year, with questions lingering over his robustness.
Robinson had been groomed for a pivotal role during the latter part of this five-match series, and England drew the line for the fourth Test in Ranchi after some impressive performances in the nets. The selection did not bear fruit.
Despite starting the match with a maiden Test fifty, which helped propel England to a first innings stand of 353, Robinson disappointed with the ball. His average speed was in the late 70s mph – at one point he dipped into the 60s – and he was nowhere near the level of incisiveness that 76 Test wickets at 22.92 show he can provide. He also bowled six no-balls, continuing a difficult relationship with that frontline.
Robinson bowled just 13 overs in the match, all in the first innings, before dropping Dhruv Jurel on 59, handing India another 41 runs in their reply. It was then hidden on the field and remained unused in the second innings as England tried in vain to defend a target of 192. It was a painful return to action after almost eight months.
Speaking after the match, Ben Stokes said Robinson was fit to bowl and a spin track was the reason he was not used. But given his previous record of excellence on a variety of surfaces, as well as his stated desire to experience the heat of the moment, it felt like a loss of confidence from the England captain in a player he had apparently cajoled. his first summer as Test captain.
McCullum, however, revealed that Robinson was carrying an injury he picked up while batting, which explains his listless spell with the ball: “He actually twisted his back while batting in the first innings, it This is why during these first two spells, he was We saw the next day, when his back improved a little, that his rhythm returned to its normal rhythm.
The head coach then vouched for Robinson, whose last competitive match was the third Ashes Test of the summer at Headingley – where his involvement was curtailed by a back spasm – but seemed unable to explain how such a well-planned selection had backfired.
“I don't think it was too soon, it had been seven months since his last test, so it's probably too long in between,” McCullum said. “Everything he did before the Test match suggested we would see not just the Ollie Robinson we had seen previously, but a better version of it.
“For whatever reason it didn't really work out for him and obviously he's not as disappointed as everyone else, he's the most disappointed of all. Our job is to make sure we get around him and to give him “I have so much support and confidence to be able to go again next time. It's just sport, right? You have high expectations and sometimes you're not quite able to meet them.”
The player himself looked set for a big impact in India, arriving in better shape and eager to make amends after three disappointing Tests against Australia last summer. He has trained well throughout, but there remains the feeling that he could give more.
Amid a sea of multi-year central contracts, Robinson's 12-month deal was intended to motivate him to show he was worthy of a longer-term investment over the next cycle. Now a player who was expected to replace Stuart Broad – even usurping Broad at times during his first 18 months as a Test cricketer – could find himself further down the pecking order, although McCullum has suggested that he maintains his faith.
“It's definitely a tough game for him and he's in a lot of pain. We've all seen Robbo play better than he did and he'll be the first to admit that. We just have to get around him and make sure he eliminates some of those things that didn't work well this week. We know he's a very good bowler. His record suggests he has talent and it's just about making sure we can freeing up talent so that he can reach the levels he wants to get there.
“We know how skilled he is and we know his high release point and his ability to move the ball off the seam and the skills he has are good enough for this level. We just have to make sure we find a way to get the best out of him.”
England is not innocent. They know he's a bowler who needs overs to be fit, especially given the long gap between appearances.
The tourists opted not to warm up and embarked on what proved to be a hugely positive pre-season camp in Abu Dhabi. But in hindsight, it would have been beneficial to give Robinson time in the middle, which could have happened with the England Lions. Their third match against India A in Ahmedabad began a day before the second Test in which James Anderson played as the lone quick in a heavy attack.
Management was also caught off guard before the tour when Robinson announced a new podcast with his partner, Mia Baker, a golf influencer. The pair recorded episodes throughout the tour and, while largely innocuous, England, who exercise some creative control over the extracurricular activities of their contracted players, were irked by some of the content, particularly when Robinson mentioned that the ECB had initially made a mistake with his visa application. The revelation came at a time when the governing body was scrambling to sort out Shoaib Bashir's visa issue, which resulted in the Somerset player arriving a week late, missing the first Test.
The sixth episode, aired this week, in which Robinson discussed the team's mid-series break in Abu Dhabi, was subsequently removed.
It remains to be seen whether Robinson will play the fifth Test in Dharamsala. Better conditions suggest he could have a chance at redemption, although it seems likely England will stick with Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley as well as Anderson, who is two short of 700 career wickets .
One guarantee McCullum offered was that Jonny Bairstow would get his 100th Test cap. It has been a difficult series for the 34-year-old, but scores of 38 and 30 on a difficult pitch in the last Test have McCullum believing Bairstow will mark the occasion in style.
“Yes, he will play his hundredth Test. We are expecting a good Jonny. Jonny also likes to take a big step. He will not shy away from that. He will play. It will be really emotional for him.
“Everyone knows Jonny's story and as you know he is quite an emotional character at times and big milestones like this mean a lot to him. It will be a very emotional moment for him and we can't wait to see him. share with him.”
Majority of the team traveled to Bangalore on Tuesday morning for golf practice. A smaller group – including Stokes – will visit a resort in Chandigarh on Wednesday, with the only concrete plan being a trip to the cinema to watch Dunes 2. They will meet next Monday at the foot of the Himalayas, before the start of the final test on March 7.
As England look to claim a creditable 3-2 victory, McCullum will hope it will be the start of a new, more ruthless chapter for his charges. After missing opportunities in the Ashes and now again here, now is the time to learn from those mistakes.
“We weren't good enough when it counted – or, to be honest, they were better than us. Against Australia we had our chances and didn't really get over the line. arrived. This team “We are still developing as a team. We are a good cricket team. I think we have the opportunity to be a very good cricket team.
“There are times in games where we haven't really worked out our method yet. I still think sometimes we get out of the element of what needs to be done in the moment… or we have too much noise in our mind, so we have to find a way to really be fully present when these moments arrive, identify that this is a crucial moment in the game, and try to remove all external elements and simply take a decision and make it work.
“If we do that, I think we'll see this team go to the next level. We're OK. We lost that series and we didn't win the Ashes – but we're a better cricket team than we were 18 months ago. And we have the opportunity in the next 18 months to do some pretty special things.
