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Daily Mail
a few seconds ago
- Daily Mail
England must pick Gus Atkinson for the Ashes after his five-wicket haul against India... he's the skilful, consistent bowler they need in Australia, writes NASSER HUSSAIN
The Gus Atkinson we have witnessed in this Test match is the version we saw when he first broke into the England side last summer — and one that should be in their Ashes starting XI. England are looking for bowlers that can bowl well in all conditions, and Atkinson strikes me as one of those. With Chris Woakes now out of contention due to his shoulder dislocation, I would start Atkinson in the first Test in Perth. I'd have Jamie Smith at No 7. A spinner, whoever that might be, Atkinson, then one out of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer — probably Archer given the way he's bowled in the previous two Tests — Brydon Carse or Josh Tongue, plus Ben Stokes. Atkinson strikes me as that consistent bowler a team needs in Australia — one with a repeatable action, skilful and quick enough. A lot of people go on about needing express pace in Australian conditions, but look at Glenn McGrath — he wasn't rapid. He was skilful, but equally he had the requisite speed to cause opposition batsmen problems. Sometimes you can have very skilful bowlers that aren't quite quick enough, or rapid ones that don't do enough with the ball, and Australian players don't fear pace. Atkinson's one of these bowlers that will be at 85mph on the speed gun and because he moves the ball, he rushes you as a batsman. That's the combination you need to get early wickets in Australia, really. Here, in taking five for 33 in the first innings on his first Test appearance since May, he was able to control the movement on offer in a way that Tongue and Jamie Overton were unable to. Although Tongue did improve in the second innings. Atkinson had some fortune, too, coming in on his home ground, on the first pitch this series that has provided some sideways assistance. The others have slogged on four flat, tough pitches, while he's come in fresh, been presented with a grassy surface and bowled beautifully. It's a good sign that a bowler can come back with such rhythm immediately. Some take time to get up to speed when they come back from injury, but with Atkinson — whose only match bowling since injuring his hamstring against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge was 30 overs in a second-team game for Surrey last week — it was like he'd never been away. By the end of 2024, his speeds were dropping off a little bit, to the low 80s, and it was looking like the workload was just taking a slight toll on his zip. But he has been England's best bowler from ball one here by far, unearthing the right length for this Oval pitch, following the odd back of a length delivery with the sucker punch — the full one, pitched right up. As well as being very skilful, he's also very calm. Like his Surrey team-mate Smith, he seems born for Test match cricket. They take emotion out of their performances, just rocking up to do their jobs. I quite like that in a cricketer. Some wear their heart on their sleeve. Take Mohammed Siraj, for example. Atkinson, though, just lets his bowling do the talking.
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick left unimpressed with India's tactics
England engaged in another day of angry on-field exchanges in their decisive fifth Test against India, with the tourists openly targeting Joe Root and assistant coach Marcus Trescothick taking a dim view of the opposition's antics. There have been several fractious moments between the teams since a time-wasting row at Lord's lit the blue touch paper and there were another three to add to the list on a box office second day at the Kia Oval. There were 342 runs and 15 wickets in total, with India ending up with a 52-run lead at 75 for two in their second innings. But the post-match debates lingered on the latest batch of flashpoints. Root was visibly riled by something that was said to him by Prasidh Krishna, shouting indignantly at the seamer before the umpires moved to warn India about their behaviour. Ben Duckett was at the centre of two incidents, the second of which appeared to involve him enraging Sai Sudharsan following his late dismissal. Earlier, having been picked up on stump microphones telling Akash Deep 'you can't get me out', he went on to be dismissed by the pace bowler and received an unusual send-off. Deep put his arm over the opener's shoulders as he walked towards the pavilion and grinned as he offered some unsolicited farewell words. 'There is no need to walk him off in that fashion. Your job is done at that point,' said Trescothick, England's assistant coach. 'I don't think I've ever seen a bowler do that after getting someone out. It was strange really.' Television cameras had picked up Trescothick making some animated gestures in the dressing room and he explained: 'We were chatting on the balcony. Many in my time would have just dropped the elbow on him or something quite different. I was just laughing and joking about it.' As for Root's uncharacteristic tirade, Trescothick added: 'I think they made a comment didn't they? He (Krishna) tried to get after him and spark him up a little bit. Joe's normally the kind of guy who laughs and giggles and allows things to happen, but today he chose a different route. Today Joe bit back.' Krishna admitted it was part of a deliberate ploy to unsettle England's best batter, but insisted nothing untoward had been said. 'That was the plan, but I didn't really expect the couple of words that I said to get such a big reaction from him,' he said. 'It was a very small thing. I think it was just a competitive edge amongst us that was coming out. But I love the guy that he is, he's a legend of the game.' Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook told BBC's Test Match the tactic may have been a smart one and predicted more of the same as the game moves towards its conclusion. 'Why wouldn't you try to upset Joe Root? His record against India is superb,' he said. 'You can say that it did work because Joe only got 29 when he normally averages 60 against them, so it's a success. Fair play to Krishna. I hope it didn't cross that line and was good old honest sledging. It definitely got Joe Root out of his bubble. 'We're in for some more fireworks. It's not going away for the next three days.'
The Independent
30 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tom Lockyer close to football return after suffering cardiac arrest on the pitch
Former Luton captain Tom Lockyer has revealed he is 'four weeks away' from being allowed to play football again. Lockyer has not played since suffering a cardiac arrest during Luton's Premier League game against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in December 2023. The 30-year-old Wales defender had previously collapsed on the field just seven months earlier during the Hatters' Sky Bet Championship play-off final win at Wembley against Coventry. Lockyer, speaking ahead of Luton's opening Sky Bet League One fixture against AFC Wimbledon at Kenilworth Road, told Sky Sports: 'I haven't had a break, I've been working all the way through, just trying to get this ankle right and trying to get fit. 'But I've had a really good few weeks and hopefully now I'm four weeks away from getting signed off and told I'm allowed to play football again.' Luton, relegated in May for the second successive season, told Lockyer his contract would not be renewed when it expired this summer. But they have allowed him to use their facilities and work with their physios and medical staff during his rehabilitation. The former Bristol Rovers centre-back, who led Luton to Premier League promotion in 2023, added: 'They've been fantastic and have allowed me to come in and use the facilities and the knowledge of all the physios, so I can't thank them enough for that. 'It allows me to stay among the team spirit – there's a good one here. There's been a few changes, but they're trying to hold on to that ethos that no-one is bigger than the team and I absolutely love that. 'It's allowed me to go in every day, still be around it, still feel involved and I'm just itching to get back now.' Lockyer, who has had a defibrillator fitted similar to former Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen, snapped an ankle ligament during his return to full fitness, which required two operations.
