It was a match to forget for Ollie Robinson in Ranchi. Playing his first match of the India vs England Test series, not only did his team lose the series, but the pacer ended the match with the worst figures of any bowler and wasn’t even given a go in the second inning.
Robinson faced heavy criticism from English fans and experts, who bashed him for bowling at low 120s. The 30-year-old, who is more than a decade younger than James Anderson, was bowling at times 10 kilometers slower than the veteran paver.
England coach Brendon McCullum has defended his player after his forgetful outing. The Kiwi coach claimed that the person who is most disappointed by his performance is Robinson himself. Talking about the pacer, McCullum said:
“Everything he did leading into the Test match suggested we’d see not just the Ollie Robinson we’d seen previously but a better version of it. For one reason or another, it didn’t quite work out for him. Obviously, he’s not just as disappointed as everyone else; he’s the most disappointed out of everyone.“
Talking about how Robinson injured himself, and that was the reason behind his slow pace. The English head coach said:
“He actually twinged his back while batting, which is why in those initial couple of spells he was down on pace. It’s a tough game for him, no doubt, and he’s hurting a lot. We’ve just got to make sure we find a way to get the best out of him.”
