Ollie Robinson was unrepentant after appearing to give Usman Khawaja an expletive-laden send-off as tempers rose on day three of a delicately-balanced first Ashes Test.
Khawaja’s masterful 141 was ended when England’s ring of close fielders led to the Australia opener attempting to make room, only to york himself as he was castled by Robinson.
Television cameras seemed to show a fired-up Robinson giving Khawaja a verbal volley in his celebration as he helped restrict Australia to 386 and give England a slender first-innings advantage at Edgbaston.
After England closed on 28 for two for a lead of 35, a combative Robinson had no regrets about how he reacted towards Khawaja, arguing past and present Australia cricketers have let their emotions boil over in the heat of battle.
Asked whether he is concerned about having a target on his back for the remainder of the LV= Insurance series, Robinson responded: “I don’t really care how it’s perceived, to be honest.
“It’s the Ashes, it’s professional sport. If you can’t handle that, what can you handle? When you’re in the heat of the moment and have the passion of the Ashes that can happen.
“We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting and other Aussies do that to us so just because the shoe’s on the other foot, it’s not received well. It’s my first home Ashes and to get the big wicket at the time was special for me.
“I think Uzzie played unbelievably well. To get that wicket at the time for the team was massive. We all want that theatre of the game and I am here to provide it.”
As for whether he expects to have to explain his conduct to the match referee, Robinson replied: “I’m not going to comment on that.”
Robinson and Broad finished with three wickets apiece to give England a slight edge before lunch but there were just 10.3 overs possible in the last two sessions because of persistent rain in Birmingham.
It was in a 22-ball window either side of showers where Australia gained a foothold under leaden skies and with the floodlights on – as a docile pitch came to life to make life tricky for England’s batters.
Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley were both dismissed and matters might have worsened as Australia were convinced they heard a noise when Pat Cummins went past the bat of Joe Root but the not out appeal was upheld on technology.
Asked whether England’s openers were irritated at having to go out in gloomy conditions, Robinson said: “Yeah they were but they understand if the umpire says it’s fit to play, it’s fit to play.
“Crack on, you won’t hear any excuses from our side. We still want to be positive and aggressive in our batting, but unfortunately we lost two crucial wickets. That’s just the game.”
Robinson hopes the rest of England’s batters can get towards a total in the 98.3 overs on the penultimate day that will allow them an opportunity to pursue victory.
However, Robinson believes England’s best chance of doing so rests on being able to bowl for all of the final day and give Australia a target to hunt rather than batting them out of the game.
Robinson added: “If they had a score to chase, that would allow us to bowl them out. If they were playing for the draw, playing defensively like they have done so far, it might be slightly different.
“When we are fresh with the harder ball I’m sure we can make inroads, I’ve no doubt we can take the 10 wickets quickly and wrap it up.”
Robinson’s profane tirade towards Khawaja was the main talking point post-play but Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey attempted to downplay the furore.
Carey said: “I didn’t see it at all, Usman hasn’t said anything.
“It’s the Ashes, at times it will be pretty exciting and hostile cricket. I didn’t see anything over the top there. From our dressing room, there was no comment.”
Knight Riders dispatch Super Giants to move top of IPL
Kolkata Knight Riders moved to the top of the Indian Premier League courtesy of a 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants.
Sunil Narine hit a sensational 81 from 39 balls, and he was ably supported by Ramandeep Singh's 25 from six deliveries, as KKR reeled off a third straight win on Sunday.
Ramandeep enjoyed a great day in the field too, as he took one of the catches of the season as LSG managed just 137 in response to KKR's 235.
Phil Salt struck 32, but it was fellow opener Narine who did the damage for KKR.
Ravi Bishnoi eventually ended his stand, but only when KKR had reached 140. Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32) had to be substituted out, but Shreyas Iyer added a useful 23 before Ramandeep hammered 25 from just an overs' worth of deliveries.
KL Rahul (25) and Marcus Stoinis (36) tried to get Lucknow going either side of Ramandeep's spectacular catch to dismiss Arshin Kulkarni, but the Super Giants never set the pace to truly trouble Kolkata.
Sunil Narine's plunders 81 to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to emphatic victory over Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants
In a sensational display of power hitting, Sunil Narine spearheaded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to a commanding victory over Nicholas Pooran's Lucknow Super Giants and a place atop of the IPL table with a stunning knock of 81 runs off just 39 deliveries.
Alongside Narine, contributions from Ramandeep Singh (25 off 6 balls), Phil Salt (32), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (32), and Shreyas Iyer ensured that KKR posted an imposing total of 235 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs.
The match, held at one of the lower-scoring venues in IPL 2024, set the stage for a challenging run chase for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Despite a 50-run partnership between KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, LSG struggled to accelerate the scoring rate, ultimately succumbing to the pressure imposed by KKR's bowlers.
Andre Russell emerged as a pivotal figure in the match, not only with his powerful batting but also with his crucial contributions with the ball. Russell's bowling spell saw him claim the crucial wickets of Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran, swinging the match heavily in KKR's favor.
As LSG's innings faltered, the required run rate soared out of control, with the last nine wickets falling for just 67 runs. Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana were instrumental in dismantling LSG's batting lineup, each claiming three wickets.
Narine's explosive batting display in the initial overs set the tone for KKR's commanding total. After Salt's aggressive start, Narine took centre stage, unleashing a barrage of boundaries and sixes. His innings featured a total of seven sixes and six fours, demonstrating his ability to accelerate the scoring rate at will.
Despite eventually being dismissed while attempting another big hit, Narine's contribution laid the foundation for KKR's comprehensive victory. The match also witnessed standout performances from Ramandeep Singh, whose quick-fire innings added crucial runs to KKR's total, putting LSG under immense pressure.
With this convincing win, Kolkata Knight Riders continue to demonstrate their formidable form in IPL 2024, buoyed by standout performances from key players like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, signaling their intent as serious contenders in the tournament.
IPL: Jadeja stars as CSK move into playoff places
Chennai Super Kings moved into the Indian Premier League playoff places after beating Punjab Kings by 28 runs in Dharamshala.
The reigning champions avenged their seven-wicket defeat by the Kings in Chennai four days earlier to climb to third place in the table with three games remaining.
After a slow start, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Daryl Mitchell's partnership brought 57 runs and settled CSK into their stride. Although MS Dhoni went for a duck, Ravindra Jadeja's late surge of 43 from 26 balls saw them close at 167-9.
Tushar Deshpande claimed Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw in the second over to stem the Kings' early momentum, while Jadeja (3-20) also took a quickfire double of Sam Curran and Ashutosh Sharma in the 13th over as the hosts finished well short of their target at 139-9.
Data debrief
In getting back to winning ways, CSK ended their five-game losing streak against the Kings, stretching back to 2021.
Despite going for a duck, Dhoni managed to make amends in the field. When he caught out Jitesh Sharma, he became the first player in IPL history to take 150 catches.
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