Robinson Ready to Work Hard After Dream Return
Ollie Robinson has described his return to the England Test team as a dream come true, attributing it to rediscovering his "love of the game" in recent months.
The 32-year-old fast bowler made an immediate impact by taking three wickets in his very first over against New Zealand at Lord's. He finished day one with impressive figures of 4-10, marking a remarkable comeback more than two years since his last Test appearance.
Despite England being bowled out for 140, Robinson's performance helped ensure the team ended the first day of the series opener in a strong position. However, he acknowledges that much work remains to make this latest stint in international cricket a success.
"I'm so speechless about how it's gone - I couldn't have dreamt up that day," Robinson told BBC Test Match Special.
"When we lost the toss and got stuck in, we were hoping to be batting all day. It obviously didn't go our way but to come out with the ball as a collective, we were right on it from ball one.
"It's been such a special day, I have no words."
Robinson struck with just his third delivery on a seaming pitch, prompting England supporters to wonder what might have been had he played during the recent Ashes series.While Australia produced several bowler-friendly pitches, England's attack, designed to exploit the pace and bounce of traditional Australian surfaces, failed to fully capitalize.
"I was nowhere near ready to play or anywhere near where I am now as a person and a cricketer," Robinson reflected on missing the Ashes.
"It's only been the last few months that I've got the enjoyment back for the game and knuckled down a bit more.
"I went to Australia in the winter and played some grade cricket and just got the love of the game back really and, yeah, the wickets might have suited me but I wasn't ready to play.
"There was a lot of hard work that still needed to be done for me to get back in."
Highlights and Context
The opening day saw 16 wickets fall as England fought back against New Zealand. Robinson's stunning return injected new life into the England bowling attack.
Fans can watch today's Test action on BBC , and listen to the Test Match Special podcast covering the sensational day for seamers as wickets tumbled.
Robinson was dropped from the England squad after the 2024 tour of India despite maintaining an impressive bowling average of 22.92. Concerns over his fitness during spells and his attitude outweighed his evident talent as a new-ball bowler.
Following a 27-month absence from international cricket, Robinson's strong start to the county season, including taking on the captaincy of Sussex, earned him a recall.
"I don't think I'm a different bowler," Robinson said. "I think I've put a lot of work over the last couple of months to get back to the bowler I almost want to be.
"I'm not quite there - there's still a lot of hard work to do and put in, but I think like people have said my skills have never really been in doubt. It's more the fitness and the other things.
"When I got the call from [Rob Key, managing director of England men's cricket] and the text from [head coach Brendon McCullum], I knew that I had a lot of hard work to put in.
"That's what I've tried to do over the last few months. And like I said, I'm not the finished article by no means.
"But those sort of sessions there definitely make it all worthwhile."
Looking Ahead
New Zealand will resume on 61-6 on day two, still trailing England by 79 runs. Robinson is prepared to lead the effort as England aims to secure a healthy first-innings lead.
"Stokesy said to me last week 'great to have you back, but just know the hard work's still to be done', and that's what's constantly in my head at the moment," Robinson said.
"These days are what you play for. But, like I said, I've still got a lot of work to do, and it's just great to put the England shirt back on and be here."
Robinson's early success included bowling out New Zealand's Mitchell for 12, prompting the commentary exclamation, 'Robinson has got another one!'
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