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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in Focus as Ollie Robinson’s Lord’s Spell
New Delhi: England fast bowler Ollie Robinson produced a sensational spell on the opening day of the Lord’s Test against New Zealand on Thursday, delivering a performance that shifted momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour and reignited discussions around his international future.
Robinson, brought in amid the absence of Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse, made an immediate impact with the new ball. On a lively, overcast pitch offering seam movement, he struck with his very first over in remarkable fashion.
He dismissed Devon Conway with his third delivery, followed by Kane Williamson on his fifth and Rachin Ravindra on his sixth, completing a rare three-wicket maiden over. The spell left New Zealand stunned and gave England a commanding early advantage.
England’s dominance continued as New Zealand struggled to cope with movement and disciplined bowling. By stumps, the visitors were reeling at 61 for 6, with Robinson finishing the day with impressive figures of 4 for 10 from six overs, three of which were maidens.
The early collapse came after England themselves were bowled out for just 140, making Robinson’s spell even more crucial in swinging momentum.
Speaking after the day’s play, Robinson admitted he was overwhelmed at the start of his spell. He described feeling nervous before his first over but said taking an early wicket helped settle him into rhythm.
The pacer also revealed that he had questioned his future in international cricket earlier in the season, crediting renewed backing from England management for helping him regain confidence and focus.
As clips of Robinson’s unplayable opening over circulated online, cricket fans began debating whether India’s 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would have been able to handle such a challenging spell in similar conditions.
While some users doubted the teenager’s ability to survive such high-quality seam bowling, others argued it was unfair to judge an uncapped player against established international attack in English conditions.
With Robinson leading the charge, England ended day one firmly on top, leaving New Zealand under significant pressure heading into the second day of the Test.
