'Back it up': Ponting hits back at Robinson

A fired-up Ricky Ponting has hit back at Ollie Robinson after the former Australia captain's name had been dragged into an Ashes sledging debate that lit a fuse under the first Test at Edgbaston.

Ponting suggested Robinson needs to walk the talk after the England paceman defended his send-off of Usman Khawaja by saying: "We've all seen Ricky Ponting and other Aussies do the same to us, and just because the shoe is on the other foot it's not received well."

Khawaja later played down the first-innings incident, admitting he had not heard Robinson's words for him after he had been dismissed for 141 on day three, while the opener labelled a run-in with the paceman on day five as "friendly banter".

But Ponting, who commentated on the thrilling clash for Sky Sports, took aim at Robinson after the Test.

"As I said after Ollie Robinson said what he said, this England cricket team hasn't played against Australia and they'll find out pretty quickly what playing Ashes cricket and playing against a good Australian cricket team is all about," Ponting told the ICC Review podcast.

"And if Ollie Robinson hasn't learned that already after last week, then he's a slow learner.

"Some of the things he had to say – I mean he even brought my name into it, which I felt was a little bit unusual, but for me it's water off a duck's back.

"If he is sitting back thinking about me, then no wonder he bowled like the way that he did in that game, if he's worried about what I did 15 years ago.

"He'll learn pretty quickly that if you're going to talk to Australian cricketers in an Ashes series, then you want to be able to back it up with your skills."

Robinson, who has taken 71 wickets at 21.15 in his first 17 Tests, had five victims for the match including the key scalps of David Warner and Cameron Green in the Aussies' second innings.

While the 29-year-old's words to Khawaja and his justification for it has riled up Australian fans, both teams commended the spirit the first Test was played in.

The ICC handed down sanctions for slow over-rates and for a drying agent used on Moeen Ali's finger, but none for bad behaviour.

"Two competitive teams going at it and desperate to try and get a performance for their countries, so you're always going to get a little bit of a boil-over of emotions," said England coach Brendon McCullum.

"I don't think it crossed the line, from what the match referees were saying, they were pretty content with it as far as I'm aware.

"But I'm sure it'll be a hotly contested series right throughout and it won't be the last time we're probably talking about it."

Ponting also questioned England on their insistence they are not a "results-driven" team.

Ben Stokes made a point of stressing his aversion to losing such a close match after the two-wicket loss on Tuesday, but repeated his assertion that he wants his team to play entertaining cricket.

"We are not a results-driven team, but we are absolutely devastated," Stokes said after England went 0-1 down in the series. "The lads are in pieces up there. But if that's not attracting people to the game we love then I don't know what will.

But Ponting said: "I've heard them say that before, that they're not 'results driven', but I don't believe that for a second.

"This is an Ashes series, this is the biggest challenge that Ben Stokes has had in his career as a captain.

"I'm not copping that.

"I mean, if they're not results driven, they wouldn't be disappointed at all about losing. And it seemed to me, and he said it, that all his players were in pieces at the end of that game.

"So that means to me that they do care about losing, and you should."