After a below-par return to Test whites, England's coach has given the seamer some qualified support.
After England's series defeat, head coach Brendon McCullum defended Ollie Robinson following a tough first outing in India. But questions remain over Robinson's durability. He is at a critical point in his Test career, which is only in its third year.
Robinson was expected to play a crucial role during the latter part of this five-match series, and England withdrew him from the fourth Test in Ranchi after impressive performances in the nets. The selection did not pay off.
Robinson was disappointed with the ball, despite starting the match with a maiden Test fifty to help England to a first innings total of 353. His average speed was in the late 70s mph. At one point, he dipped into the 60s. There was nowhere near the level of incisiveness that his 76 Test wickets at 22.92 show he can provide. Continuing his troubled relationship with the top order, he also bowled six no-balls.
Robinson only bowled 13 overs in the match, all in the first innings, before dropping Dhruv Jurel on 59. This mistake allowed India to score an extra 41 runs in their reply. Robinson was then hidden in the field and did not bowl in the second innings as England tried unsuccessfully to defend a target of 192. This was a disappointing return to action after almost eight months.
Ben Stokes confirmed Robinson was fit to bowl and explained that he was not utilised due to the spinning track. The England captain appeared to have lost faith in a player he had seemingly pulled out of the doldrums during his first summer as Test captain, despite his excellent form on a variety of surfaces and his desire for the heat of battle.
However, McCullum revealed that Robinson has been carrying an injury he picked up while batting, which explains his listless spell with the ball:
"He actually twinged his back while batting in the first innings, which is why in those initial couple of spells, he was down on pace. We saw the following day when his back improved a little bit his pace got up to where it normally is."
The head coach supported Robinson, who last played in the third Ashes Test at Headingley during the summer, but was forced to retire due to a back spasm. However, the coach struggled to understand why such a well-planned selection had failed.
The player arrived in India fit and ready to make up for a disappointing performance in the three Tests against Australia last summer. Although he has trained well, there is a sense that he could give more.
Robinson has been motivated to prove his worth for a longer-term investment in the next cycle, with a 12-month deal at the heart of his contract. Despite being touted as Stuart Broad's replacement, and even usurping him at times during his first 18 months of Test cricket, Robinson may now find himself further down the pecking order, but McCullum has faith in him.
England are far from blameless. They know that Robinson is a bowler who needs overs to be in fighting form, especially given the length of time between appearances.
The tourists opted against a warm-up. They had an extremely positive pre-season camp in Abu Dhabi. In hindsight, however, it would have been beneficial to give Robinson some time in the middle. This could have been achieved with the England Lions. The third match against India A in Ahmedabad began a day before the second Test, with James Anderson as the only fast bowler in a spin-heavy attack.
The management was also caught off guard before the tour when Robinson revealed a new podcast with his partner, Mia Baker, a golf influencer. The duo has recorded episodes throughout the tour. However, England exercises creative control over the extra-curricular activities of their contracted players and has largely innocuous content. This is particularly true when Robinson mentioned that the ECB had initially made an error with his visa application, it has been irked by some of the content. The revelation occurred when the governing body was trying to resolve Shoaib Bashir's visa issue. This resulted in the Somerset off-spinner arriving a week late and missing the first Test.
The sixth episode, in which Robinson discussed the team's break in the middle of the series in Abu Dhabi, was subsequently deleted.
It is uncertain whether Robinson will participate in the fifth Test in Dharamsala. The conditions are more favourable for a seam, which suggests that he may have an opportunity for redemption. However, it seems probable that England will retain Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley, along with Anderson, who is two wickets away from reaching 700 career wickets.
One thing that McCullum did confirm was that Jonny Bairstow will receive his 100th Test cap. Despite a challenging series for the 34-year-old, McCullum believes that Bairstow will mark the occasion in style, following his impressive scores of 38 and 30 on a tough pitch in the last Test.
On Tuesday morning, most of the squad went to Bangalore to play golf. A smaller group, which includes Stokes, will travel to a resort in Chandigarh on Wednesday. The only definite plan is to watch Dune 2 at the cinema. They will reunite in the foothills of the Himalayas on Monday before the final Test on March 7.
Although England will aim to take a commendable 3-2 scoreline home, McCullum hopes that this will mark the beginning of a new, more ruthless chapter for his team. After missing opportunities in the Ashes and now again here, it is time to learn from those mistakes.