England pacer Ollie Robison was seen struggling during the third Test of Ashes 2023 and could only manage to bowl 11.2 overs at Headingley. But he says, “He is fully fit to make a comeback at Old Trafford for the fourth Test.”
( Ollie Robinson claiming to be fully fit ahead of the fourth test. Photo - Getty Images)Ollie Robinson has declared himself “100 percent fit’’ ahead of the fourth men’s Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford, despite suffering from black spasm limiting him to bowl only 11.2 overs at Headingley.
Robinson left the field on the first afternoon of the third Test and left midway through the over while struggling to bowl and did not return for further bowling spells at the start of Australia’s innings on the second day. He was seen fielding on the ground on day three of the Test but was not used with the ball, and also was not required to give his part in England’s run chase.
“It was so frustrating to get that back spasm on day one,” Robinson wrote in his Wisden.com column. “Normally, when I’ve had back spasms before, they’ve built up and I would feel it coming on. Whereas this was on landing, it was just a sudden, quick, stabbing feeling in the back.
“I told Stokesy [Ben Stokes], and he said to get off and see the physio. I think we caught it earlier than I have done in the past. I had some acupuncture, a bit of treatment, and I was fine after that. I was available to bowl on the third day if I’d been needed.”
Robinson made 5 not out in the “surreal” innings of England’s run chase and contributed well with his Captain that was worth 38 from 29 balls and looked on as England’s captain launched five sixes and one more four in a vital 80 from 109 balls that was crucial in reducing his team’s deficit to a mere 26.
“I was on that many painkillers because of my back spasm the day before that I was kind of spaced out,” Robinson wrote. “I was so relaxed, so calm”, he further added.
He believes that the tight turnaround between the second and third Tests, and his heavy workload at Lord’s – where he bowled 50.4 overs in the match – contributed to his back spasm, a problem that has arisen previously in his career.
“That medical team said that it’s likely to have happened because I played back-to-back Test matches, and bowled 15 overs of bumpers at Lord’s,” he said. “So sometimes these things come around, but then they go just as quickly as well. I’m 100 percent fit for Manchester”, he wrote in his Wisden.com column.
Robinson has been included in the 14 men squad for the fourth test and he believes that he can deliver the best for his Team. With Stuart Board in sublime touch from the ball and further with the support of Chris Woakes and Mark Woods in the third Ashes Test, the Team is finally looking in a balanced shape.
The speed gun for England, Mark Wood gave a splendid performance in the third Test with both contributing from his bat for some quick runs leading to a score of 40 and also with his brilliant spell of seven wickets in the match that pushed the Aussies to the backfoot and allowed England to take a victory over them.
