Gus Atkinson’s Five-Wicket Haul Seals India’s Collapse for 224
London, UK: Gus Atkinson made a brilliant return to the England team in the fifth Test, dismantling India’s lower order to help dismiss them for a first-innings total of 224. Atkinson, who was playing on his home ground at Surrey, finished with exceptional figures of 5 for 33, taking three of the four wickets that India had remaining when they resumed on Friday morning at 204 for 6.
Atkinson’s performance was especially crucial as it was announced that fellow seamer Chris Woakes would take no further part in the match due to a suspected dislocated shoulder suffered the previous evening.
The collapse began with Josh Tongue removing the overnight batter Karun Nair for 57 with a sharp delivery that nipped into his stumps, pinning him plumb in front. Nair’s dismissal exposed India’s lower order, which quickly crumbled.
Washington Sundar was the next to go, falling victim to a short-ball trap set by Atkinson and getting caught at deep square leg. Atkinson then ran through the rest of the tail, bowling Mohammed Siraj and getting Prasidh Krishna caught out. The collapse saw India lose four wickets for just six runs in 18 balls. This is the lowest first-innings total of the series, surpassing India’s previous low of 358 in the Manchester Test.
With this impressive performance, Atkinson now boasts an average of 21, which is the fourth-best for an England seamer with 50 or more dismissals. His strike rate of 34.9 is also the second-best ever for an England bowler who has taken 60 or more wickets.
Do you think this early collapse will have a lasting impact on the rest of the match, or can India’s bowlers still mount a comeback?
