Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
It’s an Ollie good show!
ROBINSON STARS IN WIN AS RECORD-BREAKER ROOT HAILS BOWLERS
JOE ROOT hailed his brilliant bowlers for taking him to a record 27th Test victory – more than any other England red-ball captain.
A rampant innings and 76-run win over India was secured before lunch on yesterday’s fourth day at Headingley with Ollie Robinson the star of the show after taking 5-65.
It earned him the man-of-thematch gong ahead of Root, who had scored the game’s only hundred, but was just delighted to see the series levelled at 1-1 with two Tests left to play.
“The bowling unit was just sensational throughout the whole game,” said Root.
“A fantastic, clinical performance from them.
“To have won the most Tests as England captain is something to be proud of and a nice thing. But it is only there because of the great players who have delivered time and again.
“I’m only as good as the players out there and they’ve been terrific all week.
“Now we have to back it up at The Oval and stay on this upward trajectory.”
They love their own up here in whites.
Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow took the winning catch to seal victory for Root’s men.
And if that was not enough, Robinson, a former Yorkshire player, removed Virat Kohli on his way to blowing away the tourists.
But for all the inevitable backslapping and smug satisfaction at the impact the white rose county had on England, this was yet another triumph for their red rose counterparts. And, who else, but Jimmy Anderson.
In this game alone, Anderson deserves huge praise for setting the tone at the start and getting the ball rolling for India’s first innings’ 78 all out.
He was also a huge threat yesterday, tormenting the India skipper before he fell to his newball partner.
Robinson had already accounted for Cheteshwar Pujara, who was lbw not playing a stroke for 91, before Kohli edged to Root at first slip for 55.
That was the beginning of India losing their last eight wickets for 63 runs – as the game was over 15 minutes before lunch with Craig Overton taking the final wicket.
Robinson revealed a huge part of his success in the game came as a result of advice from Anderson.
He said: “To bowl with Jimmy is an absolute honour.
“To learn from him has been something that has helped my game no end.
“I feel like we dovetail quite well, we build pressure at both ends and we’ve got wickets with that.
“He’s sort of been one of my closest friends here really.”
No one has taken more wickets for Root as captain than the 160 taken by Anderson, and both have designs on being a big part of things for some time to come.
“As long as I am enjoying it, and I feel like I am the right person to take this team forward, that will be my focus,” added Root.
“I’m not putting any time limit on it.
“It’s been a very challenging period throughout my tenure as captain.
“There has been a lot to contend with, but that is part and parcel of the job.”
England will have to consider if they can ask both
Anderson and
Robinson to keep going at The Oval from a fitness point of view, but the extra day’s rest
should help.