‘Will take a while to sink in’ - Gus Atkinson reacts after century and five-for at Lord’s

England pacer Gus Atkinson made his debut earlier in the summer against West Indies at Lord’s. In that match, he picked up a seven-wicket haul, making it a dream start to his international career. It took him less than two months to pick his second five-for in the iconic stadium and on top of that, the Chelsea-born cricketer hit an incredible century, making him one of the rare players to feature in both honours’ board at Lord’s.

In the second Test against Sri Lanka, the 26-year-old hit 118 runs at a strike rate of 102.61, which helped England post 427 runs in the first innings. During Sri Lanka’s chase, he picked up the wicket of Nishan Madushka and also played a vital part in eliminating their middle order, helping England win by 90 runs. Despite Joe Root hitting twin centuries and breaking multiple records, Atkinson was adjudged Player of the Match for his century and five-for.

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During the post-match presentation, Atkinson stated that it would take him some time to sink into the feeling of making it to both honours’ boards. He talked about the experience of batting alongside Joe Root and added that his dad must be very happy.

“I couldn't have asked for much more, to get on both honours boards is incredible, will take a while to sink in, batting alongside Root was special in the first innings. Dad, I'm sure has had a great week,” Atkinson said.

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Atkinson also shared his experience and success playing at Lord’s. He stated to enjoy the slope that the ground offers and hoped to play more at the venue. The pacer also opened up about playing an aggressive brand of cricket without worrying much about the runs.

“My first red-ball games at Lord's have gone my way, I enjoy bowling with the slope, long may it continue. The way we go about the game, we like to attack, and it's great to attack without worrying about runs,” Atkinson added.