BUMBLE ON THE TEST: Ollie Robinson is a brilliant find and reminds me of Australian quicks… but India’s refusal to pick Ravichandran Ashwin is mystifying
- Dinesh Karthik has cleared off after being a pleasure to work with on Sky
- It is incredible that Ravichandran Ashwin has not been picked for the Test
- Chris Woakes has great record at home and will be tested in the second innings
It’s time for Sky’s rest and rotation policy to kick in at this late stage of the summer so I’m on strength and conditioning this week.
Turns out I’ve entered the red zone, dear reader, which apparently makes me prone to injury. Some might say I’ve been in the red zone for years….
Ollie Robinson has been one of the finds of the summer and reminds me of Australian quicks
My mate Dinesh Karthik has cleared off now too and what a pleasure it was to work with him this year.
He told me he was heading to the IPL so I asked if he was a coach or mentor. He reckons he’s playing! I thought he retired years ago…..
My time off has turned into a battle with a tractor and the tractor is winning. I’ve been doing a bit of land clearance at my new pad but I ran into problems trying to attach my front-loader. Somehow I lost all my hydraulic fluid and that doesn’t come cheap….
It’s incredible Ravichandran Ashwin is not playing in this game. He’s got a fantastic record and historically the ball turns at the Oval and Old Trafford. But Virat Kohli is sticking to his guns. To me, Ravindra Jadeja can do a job at Test level but Ashwin could bowl you out…
Ravichandran Ashwin could win a Test for India so his non selection is a surprise
Ollie Robinson is a real find for England. That’s 26 wickets already for him and it’s only his fifth Test. He looks every bit an international bowler and reminds me so much of any number of Australian quicks. A big, strapping, strong lad and the next stage of his development will be getting fitter and stronger to sustain his pace.
The Oval has traditionally staged the last Test of the summer but they’ve changed it this season. They obviously want to make the most of the weather in Manchester by having the last one at Old Trafford next week. September is usually a lovely month up here. It might even get up to 12 degrees next week….
England think a lot of Chris Woakes and he’s got an outstanding home record. He made a great start on his return to the side with four wickets but his match fitness will be tested the more he bowls in the second innings I like the fact he played in a second team game for Warwickshire to get ready for the Oval. A fast bowler needs mileage in his legs…
Woakes will be tested in the second innings but again proved his quality in the first