Former England bowler Jonathan Agnew has praised Ollie Robinson's action as strikingly similar to that of Australian great Glenn McGrath, saying the seamer's natural rhythm has been evident since his 2020 debut despite several England axings since then. Robinson has been outstanding for England this summer, taking 23 wickets in three Tests, most recently helping seal a series win over Pakistan at Lord's, and his form raises questions about whether he was wrongly overlooked for last winter's Ashes squad.

Agnew credits Robinson's success partly to favourable English conditions and a tactical shift borrowed from Australia, with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith standing up to the stumps, restricting batsmen from advancing down the pitch and allowing Robinson to bowl fuller and hit the stumps more often. Smith's improved glovework, developed through specific drills with coach Sarah Taylor, has been key to making this approach work. At 32, Robinson's next test will be sustaining this form on flatter, hotter pitches, with England's winter tour to South Africa seen as a chance to prove he deserves a regular place.