Ollie Robinson has defended his sweary send-off to Usman Khawaja, who scored 141 of Australia’s first-innings 386 on Sunday and played so well “it felt like we were never going to get him out”, telling his critics: “I don’t really care how it was perceived – it’s the Ashes, it’s professional sport, if you can’t handle that what can you handle?”
Khawaja’s innings was finally ended when Robinson produced a yorker that took out off-stump, leading to an emotional celebration in which he yelled: “Fuck off you fucking prick.”
Robinson said: “For me it’s my first home Ashes, and to get the big wicket at the time was special for me. Uzzy played unbelievably well and to get that wicket was massive. We all want that theatre of the game don’t we? I’m here to provide it.”
When Australian journalists continued to question Robinson about the incident the England seamer accused them of hypocrisy. “When you’re in the heat of the moment and you have the passion of the Ashes that can happen,” he said. “I think we’ve all seen Ricky Ponting and other Aussies do the same to us, and just because the boot’s on the other foot it’s not received well.”
Alex Carey, Australia’s wicketkeeper, said Robinson’s celebration had not been remarked upon in their dressing room. “Usman hasn’t said anything. It’s the Ashes, sometimes it’s going to be hostile,” he said. “I actually didn’t see anything over the top there.”
More memorable for Australia was the remarkable period between rain delays in the afternoon when in the space of 22 deliveries they took two wickets for two runs to leave England 28 for two in their second innings, leading by 35. “The lights came on, the ball was moving around and it was pretty exciting,” Carey said.
It was a difficult day for England’s Moeen Ali, who was not only fined 25% of his match fee for using a drying agent on his hands during Australia’s innings, but also wore a hole in the skin on the forefinger of his bowling hand by repeated contact with the seam of the ball. “As far as I’m aware he’s fine,” said Robinson, who was optimistic that England would be able to bowl Australia out on the final day if that ends up being their challenge.
“If they had a score to chase that [time] would allow us to bowl them out,” he said. “If they were playing for the draw and playing defensively as they have done so far this game then it might be slightly different.”
