England bowler Robinson ruled out of second Test

Ollie Robinson claimed three wickets in his opening over during his return to the England Test lineup

Published 8 hours ago

England's build-up to the second Test against New Zealand has faced another blow, with Ollie Robinson ruled out due to soreness in his right knee.

The fast bowler's absence follows captain Ben Stokes and paceman Gus Atkinson being declared unavailable for Wednesday's match at The Oval while an investigation takes place into their involvement in an incident at a London nightclub.

Missing the second Test is a significant personal setback for Robinson, who had just returned to international cricket in the first Test after a two-year hiatus.

The 32-year-old demonstrated his quality once more, taking seven wickets in the match, including three in his opening over.

However, part of the Sussex player's time away from the England side stemmed from management concerns over his fitness and ability to sustain his pace across extended spells over a prolonged period.

By being forced to sit out the Test at The Oval, Robinson must now wait for another chance to show he is resilient enough for the international level.

England stated that Robinson will stay with the squad and aim for a potential return in the third Test at Trent Bridge, which starts on 25 June.

But with another member of the XI that featured in the first-Test victory at Lord's sidelined, England will now make at least three changes to their lineup, and potentially as many as five.

Atkinson and Robinson will need to be replaced in the pace attack, with Jofra Archer almost certain to take one spot after missing the first Test following his time in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Archer trained with England at The Oval on Sunday.

The rest of England's team composition will depend on how they choose to replace all-rounder Stokes in the XI.

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One possibility would be to bring in a specialist batter—either Jordan Cox or James Rew—leaving England with four frontline bowlers, likely all seamers. From the trio of Matthew Fisher and uncapped players Sonny Baker and Henry Crocombe, two would be included in the side.

A less probable configuration for a four-man attack would involve off-spinner Shoaib Bashir alongside three seamers. It would be harsh on Bashir if he is left out, but he was not needed to bowl a single ball at Lord's, and Surrey often play home matches at The Oval without a specialist spinner.

An all-round replacement for Stokes would be leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who could make his home Test debut and bat at number seven. This would give England the option of a spinner and four seamers.

However, with Archer likely to bat at eight, England would have a lengthy tail, likely meaning the hosts need the security of an extra batter. Spin bowling duties could be handled by stand-in captain Joe Root and Jacob Bethell.

An additional complication for England is the imminent arrival of wicketkeeper Jamie Smith's second child.

Smith missed the tour of New Zealand in 2024 for the birth of his first child, and while England have said they expect him to play in the second Test, they have not ruled out the 25-year-old needing to be with his partner.

Both Cox and Rew are wicketkeepers, so England have options, and both could feature in the XI if Smith is absent. If Smith plays, they could compete for one batting spot.

Somerset's Rew was in the squad for the first Test, but Essex's Cox has been in Test squads before and was called up earlier than Rew. Cox scored a double century for Essex in the County Championship on Saturday.

From the England team that played at Lord's, Stokes, Atkinson, and Robinson will definitely miss out at The Oval, and they could be joined on the sidelines by Bashir and Smith.

New Zealand face their own issue following the sudden retirement of their all-time leading run-scorer, Kane Williamson.

Batter Will Young joined the tourists' squad on Sunday as Williamson's replacement.