Ollie Robinson’s England return is vindication for both sides

There was a fascinating moment before the start of play on the first day of the second Test as the England pace bowlers marked out their run-ups using an ECB high performance tape measure and Ollie Robinson almost — almost — forgot to take it really seriously.

A carefree first attempt ended in a minor disaster as the end of the tape blew up in the wind. Robinson seemed about to walk off absent mindedly at one point. Did he even know the precise millimetre-grade length of his run-up, a comfortable thing that brings him rolling up to the crease like a cross channel ferry easing its way into dock? Couldn’t he just jog through it a couple of times and drop his cap?

Except, of course, this was something new. This was Robinson 2.0, the reboot: edges filed down, muscles toned, 6ft 5in of pale Sussex seamer pressed through the cookie cutter of central contract professionalism.

Robinson last played a Test eight months, nine matches and three opponents ago. There has been concern in that time, the sense of a puzzle to be solved. What is this thing anyway, with its daddish gait, perfect wrist, world-class nip and also those entropy-spells where the arm comes over slower and slower, where the action becomes a yawn?

Robinson takes his wickets at 22 in Tests. Robinson gets tired after tea. Robinson was “shamed” over his fitness by the bowling coach during an actual live Ashes Test match.

Sport can be cruel, and also pretty dumb about this kind of stuff. Robinson bowled as many overs as any other seamer in Australia, took his wickets at 25, but struggled to sustain the intensity, faded at times when he needed to bark at the sun.

The thing that comes easiest to him is nagging precision. Physical habits, the obsessive self control of