The opening session of the fourth day of the second Ashes Test at Adelaide took an unusual turn as Ollie Robinson ditched his seamers to bowl off-breaks.

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England began the day without their skipper Joe Root on the field after he injured his abdomen during the warm-ups and that left them an off-spinner down.

That led to the unusual sight of Robinson shortening his run-up for his ninth over of the innings – and not long after he’d managed to dismiss Steve Smith for six.

A three-over spell of flighted off-breaks followed from the right-armer, who has previously turned to spin on occasion in first-class cricket for Sussex. Speaking to the Telegraph in June 2020, Robinson said: “I think my off-spin average in first-class cricket is actually better than my seam average.”

He conceded 11 runs from his short off-spin spell and certainly caught the eye of those tuning in to the match.

Robinson’s former Sussex teammate Stuart Meaker noted the prowess of the paceman’s second string.

One name that immediately came to mind was Colin Miller, who bowled both off-spin and seam for Australia at the turn of the century.

It simply proved to be a somewhat surreal sight.

 

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