Robinson clutches at his hamstring in Melbourne. Credit:Getty
With Robinson absent, captain Joe Root was forced to wheel down 10 overs of off-spin in ideal seaming conditions.
England bowling coach Jon Lewis was as nice as he could be when he spoke about Robinson after stumps on the first night.
“[Robinson’s fitness] is something he’s definitely looking at and we’re working on it with him,” Lewis said.
“It’s something he will need if he’s going to perform consistently over a long period of time at this level, he’ll need to be a fitter bowler. That’s 100 per cent. We’ve had those conversations with him and been pretty frank with him and now it’s up to him to go and do the work.
“He’s got a record of playing a lot of games in county cricket. But international cricket is a higher intensity and you play all year round. So, he’s got to get used to understanding what it takes to be a full-time year-round international cricketer.
“So far he’s been OK. But we play a lot of cricket, and training and playing at the same time isn’t always straightforward. That’s something [Robinson’s] learning. He’s going to have to learn to look after himself probably better than he does at the moment.”
Which raises the question, how can a seven-season county player be in such poor shape to represent their country, particularly after a home summer in the Test set-up?
If this is the best the England first-class and international systems can manage, is it any wonder so many of their players look so inadequate.
Big and strong with a high action, his unerring accuracy and exceptional seam position can make him a real handful on helpful pitches, as the Australians have found this summer.
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But while he can look like a Test cricketer, he struggles to play like one.
The start of a new spell will contain floating half-volleys or long hops which are easy pickings that automatically release the pressure, and he struggles to return for key spells late in the day.
Robinson’s fitness has been a concern for some time, and led England to rest him during their last Test in Sydney after he rapidly declined in pace over the course of the Boxing Day Test.
“In these series we play now, with the times we’re in, everything is really squashed together,” Lewis explained. “So there’s not a great deal of rest and recuperation between games. So that’s something that he’s going to have to deal with.”
With the London Telegraph