England’s Ollie Robinson says he does not care how his celebration for the wicket of Usman Khawaja was perceived in the Australia dressing room.
Seamer Robinson appeared to swear towards Khawaja after he bowled him for 141 on day three of the first Test.
England closed a heavily rain-affected day on 28-2, a lead of 35 at Edgbaston.
“We’ve all seen Ricky Ponting and other Aussies do the same to us,” Robinson said. “Just because the shoe is on the other foot, it’s not received well.”
Robinson, 29, is yet to be contacted by the match referee and would not comment when asked if he expected to be.
“It’s my first home Ashes Test and to get the big wicket was special,” said the Sussex man.
“Uzzie played unbelievably well and to get that wicket was massive. We want that theatre of the game, so I’m here to provide it.”
When asked if the outburst towards Khawaja might make him a target for the Australians, Robinson said: “I don’t really care how it’s perceived. It’s the Ashes, professional sport. If you can’t handle that, what can you handle?”
Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey said he did not see the incident and opener Khawaja had not spoken about it.
“It is an Ashes and at times it is going to be pretty exciting and hostile cricket,” said Carey. “From our dressing room, there was no comment.”
Robinson’s wicket of Khawaja was the catalyst for a superb Sunday morning for England, sparking a run through the tail that resulted in them taking the last four Australia wickets for 14 runs.
Opener Khawaja had batted for more than eight hours when England set an unorthodox field of three close catchers on each side of the wicket. From the next delivery, Khawaja made room in an attempt to hit through the off side and was bowled by a yorker.
Robinson said the plan hatched by captain Ben Stokes drew on experience from the winter series in Pakistan, when England won 3-0 on some unresponsive pitches.
“Stokesy came up to me the ball before and said ‘what did we do in Pakistan?'” said Robinson, who ended with figures of 3-55.
“It’s one of those plans that comes off and Stokesy looks like a genius.”
Australia were bowled out for 386, giving England a first-innings lead of seven runs. Though the Birmingham rain meant there were only 22 balls bowled after 14:15 BST, that was enough time for Australia to use some helpful conditions to remove England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley.
The scintillating spell under floodlights was the first real show of aggression from Australia in the match.
Up to that point, the tourists had been defensive in the field and with the bat, which Robinson said they were forced into by England’s style of play.
“We have made them play the way they have with the way we’ve gone about it,” said Robinson. “Our batting and bowling has meant they have had to be more defensive.
“It’s not normally something you see from an Australian side but the way we’re playing is causing that to happen.”
With more wet weather forecast for day five, England may need to make a decision on when to declare in order to leave themselves enough time to bowl Australia out on a deteriorating pitch in the second innings.
“Ideally we need a day,” said Robinson. “If they had a score to chase, 90 overs would allow us to bowl them out.
“If they were playing for a draw or playing defensively like they have done so far in this game then it would be slightly different.”
