[WATCH] England pacer Ollie Robinson bowls off-spin on Day 4 of Ashes Test
England fast bowler Ollie Robinson turned to off-spin on Day 4 of the second Ashes Test against Australia in Adelaide. In the 35th over of Australia’s second innings, Robinson shifted from fast bowling to spin, going around the wicket to left-handed batter Travis Head.
England are without a frontline spinner in the pink-ball Test being played in Adelaide, having decided to go in with an all-pace attack. Skipper Joe Root turned his arm over in the first innings and got the wicket of Head.
Robinson conceded only two runs in his first over as a spinner and kept things reasonably tight in subsequent overs as well. Earlier, Robinson got the big wicket of Steve Smith (6) while bowling as a pacer. The stand-up Australian captain was strangled down the leg side and was brilliantly caught by Jos Buttler, who had dropped a simple chance offered by the same batter earlier.
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England got off to a good start on Day 4 of the Adelaide Test, picking up early wickets. Before Robinson dismissed Smith, James Anderson and Stuart Broad sent back nightwatchman Michael Neser and Marcus Harris respectively. While Neser (3) was cleaned up by a full-length delivery that nipped off the seam, Harris nicked one and was spectacularly caught by a diving Buttler.
England captain Joe Root returns to field after injury assessment
Dinner in Adelaide!
Australia have set themselves up nicely in the first session of day four despite an early stumble.
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Meanwhile, England captain Joe Root returned to the field after missing the start of the day’s play due to an injury. Root was hit in the abdomen while having throwdowns in the warm-up before the start of play.
He underwent a scan following which he was cleared to play. Root took the field after 18 overs were bowled on Day 4 of the pink-ball Test. It is unclear whether Root will be able to bowl his off-spin, perhaps the reason why Robinson sent down a few overs of spin.
Root was dismissed for 62 on Day 3 of the Test. During the knock, he became only the fourth player in history to score 1600 Test runs in a calendar year.
Meanwhile, Australia recovered from early blows to reach 134 for 4 at dinner. Head was unbeaten at 45 while Marnus Labuschagne was batting at 31.