Robinson could face abuse investigation as Australia gain initiative
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A brooding Birmingham sky matched the mood of England fast bowler Ollie Robinson, who gave centurion Usman Khawaja a vulgar and unnecessary send-off during day three of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Sunday.
The stormy weather created brief but challenging moments of chaos that enabled Australia to finally grab the initiative. England went to an early stumps at 2-28 in their second innings, a lead of 35, after rain and bad light forced play to be abandoned with captain Pat Cummins and Scott Boland threatening carnage.
Ollie Robinson knocks over Usman Khawaja for 141.Credit: AP
Australia’s 386, just seven behind England’s first innings total, was built on Khawaja’s eight-hour vidual of 141 in 321 balls. The seventh wicket to fall heading towards lunch on day three, Khawaja was bowled by Robinson, who roared as he ran down the pitch, glared at Khawaja and swore at him, an act that should draw the attention of match referee Andy Pycroft.
By contrast former England captain Joe Root patted Khawaja on the back for his epic innings, which prevented Australia from sliding behind in the game.
While International Cricket Council match referees can be dreadfully inconsistent, the ICC’s code of conduct section 2.5 covers “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an international match.”
Robinson could be in trouble for his reaction after bowling Khawaja.Credit: Getty Images
This includes any definition of a “send-off” including “verbally abusing the dismissed batter.”
It is a level one offence that can attract a fine of up to 50 per cent of a player’s match fee if the player is charged and pleads or is found guilty. England’s player match fees are £15,000 ($28,000).
England already had Moeen Ali fined 25 per cent of his match fee and penalised one demerit point after admitting to using a spray on his damaged spinning finger without permission from the umpires.
Coaxed back into the Test team by captain Ben Stokes two years after retiring from red-ball cricket after a series-ending back injury to Jack Leach, Moeen is struggling with wear and tear on his spinning finger from the 33 overs he bowled in Australia’s first innings. The injury eventually forced him from the field for treatment.
A troublesome finger threatens to reduce Moeen Ali’s impact on this Test.Credit: Getty Images
It will be a major blow for England if Moeen is unable to bowl in Australia’s second innings on a dry and wearing pitch likely to suit spinners given he bowled almost a third of England’s overs.
With cloud cover and showers forecast for Monday, the Australians may gain similar helpful bowling conditions after looking pedestrian under sunny skies on a slow pitch for most of the game.
Cummins was brilliant on Sunday during the 20 minutes between rain breaks, claiming 1-9 from his 5.3 overs and appearing as if he was going to take a wicket almost every ball. Boland was relentless, darting the ball around off the seam to hit the batsmen’s pads more than their bat.
England came back from the first rain break comfortably placed at 0-26 from 6.5 overs, but the game changed completely under leaded skies. It reinforced the English saying to “look up, not down if you want to know if the ball is going to move”. Cummins and Boland went from a spread field to three slips and a gully.
On the players’ return, Cummins removed Ben Duckett (19) – brilliantly caught by Cameron Green in the gully – and Boland claimed Zak Crawley (7) caught behind. There was also an unsuccessful caught behind review against Joe Root who, like Ollie Pope, is yet to score.
Australia were able to get so close to England’s first innings total thanks in large part to the continuing struggles behind the stumps of wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, playing his first Test in almost a year after suffering a broken leg in a freak golfing accident.
Bairstow missed a stumping off Green (37) before he had scored and also dropped Alex Carey on 26 during Saturday’s play before missing Carey again on 52 at the start of Sunday’s play. Carey made 66 in a match-changing partnership of 118 with Khawaja.
Bairstow’s keeping was a contrast to his dynamic batting, scoring a blazing 78 in the first innings.
However, his inconsistent keeping raised the question of whether incumbent England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes should have been dropped.
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