Robinson's No.11 sledge comes back to bite him

With every passing run as the tourists edged closer to their target of 281 at Edgbaston on Tuesday, the quick's day-three sledge must have been reverberating round his mind.

It won't have been far from the thoughts of Australia's fans, either, when Pat Cummins guided a Robinson delivery to third man to seal an unlikely two-wicket win to start the Ashes.

Robinson has emerged as England's chief antagonist of this series.

His expletive-laden outburst after dismissing Usman Khawaja for 141 on day three raised eyebrows, and the bowler needed to be pulled away from Australia's opener again on day five.

Khawaja refused to buy into any bust-up when quizzed about it after Australia's win, saying he couldn't hear the day-three send off over the crowd and describing day-five's back-and-forth as "good banter".

But several comments in Robinson's day-three post-match press conference earned the ire of former players, who he effectively accused of bullying in years gone by.

Robinson accused the visitors of being un-Australian with their "defensive" approach, said England had got in their heads and, most notably, declared the tourists had "three No.11s".

"I didn't hear that one," skipper Cummins said after Australia's two-wicket win on Tuesday.

"But batting is something we all practise. Nathan (Lyon) ... puts a lot of time into his batting.

"We all had pretty strong plans. Even the adjustment from the first innings, we got a couple of bumpers. We adjusted and went out with a really clear plan."

Cummins was the one member of Australia's lower order that Robinson didn't describe as a No.11.

Scott Boland was included in Robinson's spray, though, and the Victoria quick's 20 runs as a tailender at the close of day four and start of day five proved crucial.

So too Lyon, who scored an unbeaten 16 in the 55-run stand with Cummins that won the match.

Lyon has a Test average of 12.73 and is by no means a bunny.

He played one of the shots of the final day when he drove a Stuart Broad delivery over mid-on late in the chase, and creamed another ball off Broad past Robinson at mid-off for four.

The No.10 also survived eight balls off Robinson as England worked to keep Lyon on strike in the belief bowling at him was their best path to victory.

"He was really good," Cummins said.

"When you're in the changeroom and it's not in your control you get way more nervous than you do in the middle.

"Once you're in the moment and in control, you feel it is mine to win or lose.

"Nathan was awesome, he was really chilled.

"When he is batting he is always really talkative. It helps him out, but it helps me out as well."

Australian Associated Press