Ollie Robinson‘s stellar seam bowling earned him the player of the match award. The pacers played a key role as the hosts outclassed India by an innings and 76 runs on the fourth morning of the third Test at Headingley on Saturday. With this win, England tied the five-match Test series 1-1.
Robinson took four big wickets Saturday to finish 5/65. James Anderson and Moeen Ali took one apiece before Craig Overton finished things off to leave India at 278 all out.
“It’s a dream, to be honest, to get a man of the match award in my first win for England. I enjoyed bowling here before, and it’s nice to use the conditions here, so I’m happy to get a five-for here,” he said.
“To bowl with Jimmy and learn from him is an honour. It has only improved my game. I keep learning and trying to be as good as possible,” he added.
Talking about how he orchestrated Kohli’s dismissal, Robinson said, “It’s nice to get Kohli, after he got me for two fours in the over – it’s a simple plan to Virat, fourth and fifth stump, get it to angle away, and hope he nicks it and he did.”
On the fourth day, English pacers took eight wickets for 63 after India had reached 215/2 on Friday while trying to erase a 354-run deficit.
The Indian captain was dismissed soon after he scored his 26th Test fifty. During his 125-ball stay in the middle, Kohli hit 8 boundaries and managed to score only 55 runs.
Heaping praise on Robinson, England captain Joe Root said, “Robinson has been brilliant, and he’s asked good questions of their defence. He’s managed to move the ball throughout the innings, not just with the new ball.”
Talking about his team’s bowling outing, Root said, “It was a fantastic and clinical performance from the bowlers. The two big lads put loads of pressure with three maidens, and we had a really good opportunity to take wickets and we took them ruthlessly. We know we are capable of performances like this, and we have the talent, that opening stand was fantastic too. We controlled and hung in with the new ball, and we reaped the rewards.”
