After two straight victories, Australia lost the third Test at Headingley by three wickets. The victory allowed the hosts to maintain their chances of regaining the Ashes. They would, however, have been worried about the injury Ollie Robinson suffered during the third Test.
Every day of the three Test matches that have been played so far has been thrilling as the Ashes 2023 series continues. The fact that all three outcomes in each of the three tests were still conceivable going into the final day has been the best aspect of this year’s Ashes.
On Day 1 of the third test, the seamer could be seen hobbling off the field due to a back problem. He was able to bounce back and was crucial in helping his team achieve their first triumph in the high-voltage series. Before the fourth Test in Manchester, English fans could have had concerns about his fitness. The 29-year-old has declared himself fully healthy and prepared, putting all skepticism to rest.
“Having a back spasm on day one was quite annoying. Despite the fact that the Headingley surface was shaping up wonderfully and I was eager to bowl on it, these things do happen. Usually, when I’ve experienced back spasms in the past, I can feel them starting to build up. But when we landed, it was just like a piercing pain in the back,” Ollie Robinson told Wisden.
“I told Ben Stokesy, and he advised getting off and visiting the physio,” she said. We may have discovered it sooner than in the past, in my opinion. I received some acupuncture and other treatment, and I was then in good health. On the third day, I could have bowled, if necessary. The medical staff concluded that the fact that I had just completed two Test matches and bowled 15 bumper overs at Lord’s made it more likely for this to have occurred. These events occasionally occur but also pass away rapidly. I’m fully prepared to compete in Manchester,” the pacer declared.
For the fourth Test, England keeps the same team.
All 14 members of England’s squad for the Headingley match have been kept on for the fourth Test, which starts on July 19. The Ben Stokes-led team is likely to stay with the same starting lineup, barring any last-minute niggles, after finally finding the winning formula. Australia leads 2-1 in the Ashes, which is intriguingly tied.