Ollie Robinson now holds the top Test bowling average among bowlers who have played at least 20 matches in the previous 112 years, surpassing Jasprit Bumrah. During a game-winning performance against Pakistan at Lord’s, the England bowler achieved the milestone.
Robinson has a career average of 19.53 from 23 Test matches, 43 innings, and 99 wickets, with a high of 5/39. In 52 Tests and 234 wickets, Bumrah’s previous benchmark was 19.79, with top figures of 6/27. Despite playing fewer than half as many Test matches, Robinson has exceeded that threshold.
Robinson was instrumental in England’s crushing of Pakistan in the second Test, setting the record. With 4/11 in the first and 4/24 in the second innings, the right-arm seamer performed well in both. He was the star bowler as England won handily at Lord’s thanks to his overall match numbers of 8/35. For a Pakistan batting lineup that struggled throughout the match, his ability to consistently find the outside edge, take advantage of movement, and maintain pressure proved to be too much.
Robinson’s 19.53 falls within a historically noteworthy category in the 112-year qualification. The four best averages among bowlers with at least 20 Tests are all from late 19th or early 20th century cricket players: W Barnes at 15.54 from 21 Tests, SF Barnes at 16.43 from 27 Tests, R Peel at 16.98 from 20 Tests, and J Briggs at 17.75 from 33 Tests. Robinson’s accomplishment is the best of the last 112 years because no bowler of the contemporary era has matched any of those numbers.
Robinson’s contribution in the second innings was particularly significant because Pakistan had momentarily threatened to force England to fight for the win. The visitors were in major danger early in their chase of 389, but Saud Shakeel and Shan Masood were able to form a strong combination. Before adding Mohammad Rizwan to his list of victims, Robinson went back to the attack and eliminated Masood. These developments kept Pakistan from forming the kind of alliance that may have made the chase difficult for England.
