England seamer Ollie Robinson has expressed surprise at Australia's defensive approach in the first Ashes Test and called for a change in strategy from the visitors if they want to maintain their lead in the series. Robinson believes Australia needs to "go toe-to-toe" with England's "Bazballers" in order to compete in the upcoming Test at Lord's.
Robinson, who bowled the final over in the first Test where Pat Cummins hit the winning runs, has been vocal about his team's aggressive style. His comments drew a response from former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, urging Robinson to back up his words on the field.
In his column for Wisden.com, Robinson stated, "We were surprised by how defensive Australia were and how unwilling they were to go toe-to-toe with us. Obviously, it worked for them in the first Test. But we feel that with their current playing style, a pitch with more movement would greatly benefit us."
Robinson emphasized the unusual sight of the Australians being cautious and on the backfoot. He believed that England had a psychological advantage early on, recognizing it from the first over of the match. Despite Australia's victory, Robinson suggested that they need to reassess their approach to match England's playing style.
The positive approach from England's "Bazballers" didn't lead to a victory in the opening Test of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, leaving their record under Ben Stokes' captaincy at 11 wins and four defeats.
Robinson shared that coach Brendon McCullum was immensely proud of the team's efforts in the Birmingham Test. He quoted McCullum as saying, "'Lads, I'm immensely proud of the efforts that you've put in, we've made the game what it was. We were so close to pulling off an unbelievable victory. We played all the cricket in the game. If it wasn't for us, the Australians wouldn't have even had a chance to win.'"
Regarding the Khawaja send-off incident, Robinson clarified that there were no hard feelings between him and the Australian opener. He acknowledged getting caught up in the moment and letting his emotions get the better of him. Robinson confirmed that he had spoken to Khawaja after the incident and that they were on good terms.
As the second Test at Lord's approaches, both Robinson and England face significant pressure to bounce back from their loss. Robinson, however, remains determined to maintain the team's "Bazball" approach and expressed confidence in their ability to stage a comeback, even if they go 2-0 down in the series.
"I have faith in this team that even if we went 2-0 down, we could still win 3-2 because of the style of cricket that we're playing. Obviously, we want the public to be invested in us, and we want to win games for them. If they can keep backing us, I promise they'll get rewarded, and 2-0 down could be 3-2, and we'll see one of the greatest series ever," wrote Robinson.
The second Ashes Test is set to begin at Lord's on June 28, with Australia leading the series 1-0.