"I really feel we could give them a good hiding" - Ollie Robinson eager to see England retain the Ashes urn
England seamer Ollie Robinson reckons they are in a good place to regain the Ashes urn from Australia in the upcoming Ashes series on home soil. The Sussex seamer admitted that England weren't at their best during the 2021-22 Ashes series Down Under.
England haven't won the Ashes since the 2015 leg at home, losing two out of the last three series. The 2019 Ashes held on English soil saw Australia retain the urn, thanks to a 2-2 deadlock.
However, England's aggressive brand of cricket under their current regime and their recent record have them as favorites to win it back.
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Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex, Robinson claimed it was a dream come true to play in an Ashes series and feels England could give Australia a 'hiding' this summer. He stated:
"With the team and squad we have at the moment it's such an exciting time to play Australia at home. When we went to Australia we weren't quite at our best. I really feel we could get one over them this summer and give them a good hiding. It's a dream come true to be involved in a home Ashes. It doesn't get much better than that."
The 29-year-old feels opponents trying to match England's aggressive style of play will only add up to the entertainment factor they have been focusing on throughout. He added:
"There'll come a point where other Test nations will have to try to play the way we play to compete. That can only be good for the fans and good to watch, the entertainment we are producing is like nothing we have seen in Test cricket before.
"Teams will follow suit at some point, it just depends how long it takes for some to do that. Brendon McCullum and Stokesy have changed the game for us - the confidence they've given the players, the batters especially."
Under McCullum and Stokes, England have won 11 out of their last 12 Tests, including a 3-0 series sweep in Pakistan.
The attacking approach has also enabled England to register their highest successful run-chase in Tests, gunning down 378 against India at Edgbaston.
"It could be a very good team at Hove" - Ollie Robinson looking forward to playing alongside Steve Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara
With seasoned Test players like Steve Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara signing up for Sussex's first-class games this year, Robinson believes it's a solid team. He said:
"Jof has IPL commitments as well but we might get Jofra for one game so it could be me, Jof, Smith and Pujara - it could be a very good team at Hove. Last year, I had a month of not playing, it put me back, so this year I'm going to play as much as possible.
"I'm aiming to play the first game of the year - keep myself playing cricket, as I feel like that's when I'm at my best and that's when my body is at its best."
Coming to Sussex this May: Steve Smith. 🙌 https://t.co/GevrnjdUIf
The first Ashes Test starts on June 16 in Birmingham.