After Ollie Robinson’s England debut five years ago I said he was the most natural bowler I have seen.

A lot has gone under the bridge since – he was dropped, recalled, dropped again and is now back – but nothing has changed my mind on that.

Using the word robotic to describe him may give the wrong impression. It is a compliment.

Australia’s great bowler Glenn McGrath was like that. Everything was utterly rhythmical, repetitive and perfectly grooved.

Robinson is the same.

As a former bowler I watch and see he has inherent rhythm and such a beautiful action. His wrist is just perfect.

Yes, the conditions this summer, in which he has now taken 23 wickets in three matches after England’s win in the second Test at Lord’s, have been perfect. Robinson would carry them around in his cricket bag if he could.

But the 32-year-old has performed magnificently in them.

Whatever he has wanted the ball to do – to swing in or out or to wobble off the seam – it has done.

He has not needed to go searching for wickets, instead just letting the ball flow naturally from his fingertips.

He will feel like he could take wickets running in blindfolded. There is no better feeling.

Another thing I admire in Robinson is that he is a really good reader of the game.

Tactically, he is extremely sharp. He can spot a batsman’s weakness and interpret that into what it means for his own plans very quickly.

A coach told me when he first came into the side that he was a bowler who would give talks to his team-mates about how to get batsmen out even then.

It all adds to what makes him such a good bowler.

Many people will say Robinson’s performances this summer show Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key were wrong to leave him out of their Ashes squad last winter.

Amid talk of a breakdown in trust between Robinson and the Stokes-McCullum regime, they prioritised bowlers with greater pace.

He probably has lost his way with his fitness at different times but I also think back to bowling coach Jon Lewis calling out his fitness in 2022.

There are times Robinson has not been handled as kindly as he might have been.

Perhaps last winter’s omission focused his mind, allowing Joe Root to now reap the rewards.

Robinson can also thank Australia for bringing back into the fashion the age-old tactic of the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps to pace bowlers.

Alex Carey did it so effectively during the Ashes and England are now copying with Robinson.

It may seem obvious but that tweak is really playing into Robinson’s strengths.

If the wicketkeeper was stood back the modern batsman would be walking down the pitch to Robinson. With Jamie Smith up they can’t because of the risk of being stumped.

It means Robinson can bowl a yard fuller, giving his deliveries more time to swing through the air and means more of Robinson’s deliveries would hit the stumps rather than bouncing over from a shorter length.

Of course, you cannot do any of this without a good wicketkeeper. Praise must also go to Jamie Smith.

After we saw Smith struggle badly through the Ashes, he has clearly improved his glovework. Wicketkeeping coach Sarah Taylor has been working him hard before play with a drill where she whacks tennis balls towards him with a racket.

The ball skids through and, with a batsman stood in front edging, missing and hitting the ball, Smith has to stay low and take them.

The results speaks for themselves.

Now the next question for Robinson is whether he can repeat this success on harder, flatter pitches, or in hot conditions which will test those fitness levels. England will face them in their three-Test series in South Africa this winter.

They have often left Robinson out for Test on more batter-friendly pitches but it is time for them to throw him in. He has earned that right.

England are working behind the scenes to get Robinson into the position where he maintains his pace around 82mph, rather than his current place of starting there before dropping to 77 or 78mph.

If he does that, the extra bounce he will get as a result should negate the loss of movement.

And before then I desperately hope England do not rest Robinson, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson or Josh Tongue for the third Test in Edgbaston.

England’s new quartet has shown real promise. They may not have a frontline spinner but Robinson, who conceded runs at just 1.29 per over across the Lord’s Test, can effectively do the holding job of a slow bowler if needed.

Do not break things up now.

After their poor run England just need to keep on winning matches and, just as importantly, this group needs to get used to bowling together as an attack.

Joe Root must also learn how to use each of them best.

This, with Robinson as the leader, is England’s best attack. Stick with it in Birmingham and beyond.

Jonathan Agnew was speaking to BBC Sport’s Matthew Henry