Usman Khawaja’s aggressive dismissal by Ollie Robinson during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham, has drawn criticism, but senior pacer James Anderson has defended the bowler.
Usman Khawaja has come under fire since England’s defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test in Birmingham, but senior pacer James Anderson downplayed the criticism by saying that he found nothing wrong with Ollie Robinson’s explosive send-off to Khawaja.
Khawaja has come under fire for Robinson’s profanity-filled send-off, even though he later scored a match-winning 141 at Edgbaston. Ollie Robinson’s bowling performance in the first Test, despite taking five wickets, was overshadowed by his farewell to Usman Khawaja.
Thanks to Robinson’s dismissal of Khawaja at 141, England was able to take a 7-run lead after the first inning. After amassing 393 for 8, or more than 5 runs per over, England declared early on Day 1. Australia maintained their composure on a thrilling final day and successfully chased down 281 despite England being in control for the majority of the Test, which was on the verge of being won.
England had Australia in trouble in the final innings when they were 227 for 8, but a 56-run partnership between Pat Cummins and batsman Nathan Lyon in the lower order cost the hosts the match.
Ricky Ponting, a former captain of Australia, harshly criticized Robinson for bringing up his name in the controversy. Notably, Robinson had made reference to Ponting’s prior slapping matches in defending his actions during the Edgbaston Test.
“I like to watch him get worked up” – James Anderson on Ollie Robinson
“Ollie did nothing wrong during his encounter with Khawaja. The majority of the game,” Anderson stated in his column for The Telegraph, “I stood at mid-off and didn’t hear anything said by either team that was unacceptable.”
Further criticizing Robinson for slowing down in the first Ashes Test, former opener Matthew Hayden referred to the medium pacer as a “forgettable cricketer” and called him out on it.
When the two teams square off in the second Test at Lord’s, Anderson said that it’s quite natural for fast bowlers to give that much more when they’re fired up and that he doesn’t want the medium pacer to do anything differently.
“I don’t want Ollie to remain the same. I like to watch him get worked up. He bowls better when he has that mindset. From personal experience, I’ve learned that my bowling performance improves when I’m a little more aggressive and intense. In the second inning, Ollie and Usman were talking when I interrupted to speak with Ollie. There was no commotion because they were only talking cricket,” he stated.
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