"We’ve just got to make sure..." - Brendon McCullum's huge take on Ollie Robinson, Jonny Bairstow

England head coach Brendon McCullum opened up about the future of Ollie Robinson after his poor show with the ball in the Ranchi Test against India. He said that the fast bowler is hurt and that all they need is to make sure that they bring the best out of him. 

England pacer Ollie Robinson has yet again come under the firing line after his poor outing in the Ranchi Test. The fast bowler has had a tough last few months as he failed to deliver goods with the ball. It was expected that he would live up to the expectation in the India tour but it hasn’t been the case so far. 

Ollie Robinson didn’t get an opportunity in the first three games and then was drafted into the team for the fourth Test. However, he couldn’t set the stage on fire and looked torrid with the ball. He was down with his pace and also failed to pick wickets. 

His poor show in the first innings made things worse for him in the second essay. Skipper Ben Stokes didn’t give him an over to bowl as he trusted his spinners. Ollie Robinson not having a good outing has put him under a lot of scanner. 

Brendon McCullum admitted that things didn’t work for Ollie Robinson and that the fast bowler is the most disappointed in the team. He also pointed out why the pacer was low on pace in the Ranchi Test. He told: 

“Everything he did leading into the Test match suggested we’d see not just the Ollie Robinson we’d seen previously but a better version of it. For one reason or another it didn’t quite work out for him. Obviously he’s not just as disappointed as everyone else, he’s the most disappointed out of everyone. 

“He actually twinged his back while batting, which is why in those initial couple of spells he was down on pace. It’s a tough game for him, no doubt, and he’s hurting a lot. We’ve just got to make sure we find a way to get the best out of him.”

He’s never too far away – Brendon McCullum on Jonny Bairstow 

Jonny Bairstow will be his 100th Test match for England in Dharamsala. The batter, however, hasn’t played well in the series and it is yet to register a half-century. In his special game, he would be hoping to turn things around and help his team win. 

Brendon McCullum believes that playing 100 Test matches will be emotional for Jonny Bairstow and pointed out that he looked in good touch in Ranchi. He explained: 

“It’ll be really emotional for him. Everyone knows Jonny’s story. He is quite an emotional character at times and big milestones like that do mean a lot to him. [In this match] he walked taller, looked stronger, had that presence and that real Jonny Bairstow swagger to him. When he has that you kind of feel he’s never too far away.”

The series between India and England stays 3-1 in favor of the hosts. The last match of the series will be played from 7th March in Dharamsala.