Chris Woakes hails Atkinson’s stunning performance in Edgbaston Test

Gus Atkinson has quickly made a name for himself in Test cricket with an impressive debut series for England. After making a strong first impression with 12 wickets on his debut at Lord’s, Atkinson continued his outstanding performance in the third Test at Edgbaston. The 26-year-old pacer claimed four wickets in the first innings, helping England restrict West Indies to 282 runs. With 20 wickets in the series so far, Atkinson’s debut in red-ball cricket has been nothing short of exceptional.

England teammate Chris Woakes praised Atkinson's consistent performances, noting how the young pacer has handled challenging conditions with ease. Woakes highlighted Atkinson's ability to swing the ball and use his pace effectively, making him a valuable asset to the team.

“He’s making it look quite easy isn’t he? Credit to him, he has come in and bowled really well. He came in at Lord’s and did fantastically well, got his rewards, and he’s also done it now on back-to-back flat wickets. Trent Bridge was hard work for the seamers last week, especially in the beating sun on day two, but he’s really showcased his skills,” Woakes said.

Woakes also commended Atkinson's all-around bowling abilities, including his use of short balls and wobble seam, which have been crucial in his success so far.

“He’s got the ability to swing the ball and a good wobble seam, he’s got some pace behind him so he can use the short-ball ploy well. He looks the all-round bowler,” he added.

England captain Ben Stokes had earlier called for a pace revolution, and Atkinson's performance is seen as a positive step towards achieving that goal, especially with the Ashes series in 2025 on the horizon. Despite England leading 2-0 in the series, there were speculations that Woakes might be dropped in favor of Dillon Pennington or Matthew Potts. However, the team management decided to keep Woakes in the squad.

“There was no discussion around that with management. Whenever the captain or coach come to you and say they’re keen for you to play, once you get the nod it’s hard to say you don’t fancy it. I’m just pleased to put three back-to-back Tests together. I probably came in a bit undercooked to the series, I didn’t feel great at Lord’s but as the series has gone on I’ve picked up more rhythm,” he concluded.