England’s lanky fast bowler Ollie Robinson has impressed in his young career as he has ticked the right boxes. Robinson has dismissed Virat Kohli on two occasions in his young career and he has been right on the money with his line and length against the talisman, who has been struggling to find his form.
Robinson revealed his plan was to bowl the fourth and fifth-stump line and get the ball to move away from Virat Kohli. The strategy worked wonders as Kohli once again meddled with an outside off-stump delivery, which he could have left easily but instead edged it to first slip, where Joe Root took a good catch.
In fact, it has been the same strategy of all the England fast bowlers against Virat Kohli in the ongoing series and they have found success with it as the Indian captain has struggled to get going. James Anderson has also troubled Kohli with an outside off-stump line and Kohli has been wanting to play at balls, which he should have been leaving alone. But the talisman has been a bit impatient in his approach in the ongoing series.
Kohli had got off to a good start as he was batting on 55 runs in the second innings but Robinson was able to put paid to any of India’s hope of saving the Test. Robinson scalped his second five-wicket haul as he returned with figures 5-65 in the second innings. The right-arm fast bowler had also snared two wickets in the first innings and thus he was awarded the Player of the Match for taking seven wickets.
Ollie Robinson said while talking in the post-match presentation, “It’s a dream to be honest, to get a man of the match award in my first win for England. I enjoyed bowling here before, and it’s nice to use the conditions here, so I’m happy to get a five-for here. To bowl with Jimmy and learn from him is an honour. It has only improved my game. I keep learning and trying to be as good as possible. It’s nice to get Kohli, after he got me for two fours in the over – it’s a simple plan to Virat, fourth and fifth stump, get it to angle away, and hope he nicks it and he did”.
Ollie Robinson has definitely grown in confidence and he is reaping rewards for bowling in the right areas. Furthermore, Robinson must have learned a lot by bowling in tandem with James Anderson. The fast bowler from Kent has scalped 23 wickets in his young career of four Test matches at an average of 17.65 and he will look to continue the good show.