Pakistan v England: Ollie Robinson says tourists can win in all conditions
- Published
Ollie Robinson (right) was player of the match in England's first-Test win against Pakistan
Ollie Robinson says captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum are giving England the belief they can win in all conditions.
England pulled off one of their all-time greatest victories by beating Pakistan by 74 runs on an incredibly flat pitch in Rawalpindi.
"The belief that we've got is unrivalled," pace bowler Robinson said.
"The belief is that we can win on any pitch. We can score 1,000 runs and we can take 20 wickets."
England's rapid run-scoring in Rawalpindi broke a host of records. The 506-4 they piled up on day one was the highest in Test history and their match run-rate of 6.73 is the quickest any team batting twice has ever scored.
But perhaps more impressive was the creativity and persistence England showed to bowl Pakistan out on a pitch Robinson called the flattest he had seen.
Robinson took four wickets in Pakistan's second innings as he and James Anderson gave a masterful exhibition of reverse-swing bowling on the final afternoon.
It is the latest performance in a successful return to Test cricket for 29-year-old Robinson, who missed most of the first half of the year with a number of fitness issues.
After his fitness was publicly criticised by former England bowling coach Jon Lewis during the Ashes in January, Robinson altered his training habits, saying he turned himself into a "gym freak".
The result was a relentless display in Rawalpindi, for which he was named player of the match.
"All the hard work I've put in over the last 18 months, the dark places that I've been, to come here to Pakistan and take 20 wickets on that wicket is my proudest moment as an England cricketer," said Robinson.
"I'm very proud of the work that I've done and how good the England backroom staff have been to get me to this place."
England will now look to seal their first series win against Pakistan outside of the UK for 22 years in the second Test in Multan.
Despite having only a three-day gap before the match begins on Friday, Robinson believes he will be fit to play again.
"I'll get a couple of ice baths and a bit of treatment from the physio, a few rubdowns, and hopefully be ready to go," he said.
"I feel like a couple of days of rest and a little training session before the second Test and I'll be OK."
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