Last Updated on 22 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
Ollie Robinson has been left out of England’s XI for the third and deciding Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. The England management opted to play Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and the returning Gus Atkinson as the specialist pace bowlers, with Shoaib Bashir also back in the XI as the spinner.
Robinson delivered a matchwinning performance at Lord’s earlier in the series, including three wickets in his first over. He was ruled out of the second Test at The Oval due to a knee complaint, and has missed selection for the final match despite being available for selection, according to Sky Sports.
England XI for the 3rd Test at Trent Bridge: 1. Emilio Gay, 2. Ben Duckett, 3. Jacob Bethell, 4. Joe Root, 5. Harry Brook, 6. Jamie Smith (wk), 7. Ben Stokes (c), 8. Jofra Archer, 9. Gus Atkinson, 10. Josh Tongue, 11. Shoaib Bashir
“More than meets the eye” – England fans question Ollie Robinson not playing the deciding Test at Trent Bridge
In what has been a drama-filled few weeks for England, some fans believe that there may be more to this Robinson story. However, other supporters point to whether Robinson would be effective in hot conditions on a flat Trent Bridge pitch.
“More to this than immediately meets the eye,” wrote one fan on X. “Why? Trent Bridge will be dry, slow and flat won’t suit a seamer and need to play a spinner,” replied another.
The third and deciding Test begins on Thursday. Defeat to New Zealand will only increase the pressure on Rob Key, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, with the leadership trio in the news recently. England have won just four of their past 12 Tests, including six defeats in their last eight matches.
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