IND vs ENG 2021: Indian players blocked Ollie Robinson's passage at Lord's pavilion - Reports
A few Indian players reportedly blocked England pacer Ollie Robinson's passage towards the cricket field at Lord's during the second Test. The incident is the latest in a series of heated exchanges that unfolded throughout the riveting Test match, which the visitors won by 151 runs in the final session.
According to a report by The Guardian, a couple of benched Indian players who carried drinks during the match met Ollie Robinson half-way as he stepped out of the pavilion to bat. They blocked his way for a few seconds before allowing only an 'awkward' passage. The report stated:
"As [Ollie] Robinson descends the pavilion steps, a couple of India players in tracksuits are coming back in the opposite direction, having just been out on the field delivering drinks. Robinson stops and waits for them to step aside. They do not step aside. Robinson waits. They wait. Eventually, after a fashion, they sort of awkwardly squeeze past each other. The whole encounter lasts barely a couple of seconds and yet as a motif for this bruising, absorbing final day it is hard to beat."
The names of the reported players could not be identified immediately, but India had as many as nine cricketers on the bench during the match - Umesh Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mayank Agarwal, Axar Patel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Wriddhiman Saha, Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw.
Ollie Robinson at center of Indian sledging at Lord's
Ollie Robinson, playing just his third Test, was at the center of the sledging and banter between the two teams at Lord's.
He was constantly chirpy with the likes of KL Rahul and skipper Virat Kohli whenever they came to bat, whereas other batsmen's miss-hits and close leaves met with his stares throughout.
The Indians, charged up after the events of their second innings, gave it all back in the final session of Day 5.
They gave him a rousing welcome to the crease and were in his ear before and after each of the 35 deliveries he faced before getting trapped in front by Jasprit Bumrah.