3 takeaways from England's win in 2nd ENG vs SL 2024 Test ft. Gus Atkinson's batting
England's glorious home season continued with their fifth straight win as Sri Lanka fell short by 190 runs in the second Test of the series. The Dhananjaya de Silva-led side were no match to the hosts' prowess, and conceded the series with a game to spare.
England, despite missing out on Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley's services in the series so far, have not been ruffled. Ollie Pope has done a decent job at the helm, while the players have stepped up to ensure their ascendancy in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
The hosts were clinical across all departments, which gave them a healthy lead in the first innings. The bowlers backed up the batters with a professional display to pick out the 20 wickets and confirm the win.
Although far from the ideal display, England can be satisfied with how the players turned up for the task at hand. On that note, let us take a look at three takeaways from England's win in the 2nd ENG vs SL 2024 Test.
#1 Gus Atkinson's batting adds a whole new addition to his appeal
The right-arm pacer made an early impression with his match-winning spell on his debut against the West Indies at Lord's. The need for his immediate inclusion ahead of James Anderson keeping the Ashes in mind slowly started making sense for the England faithful.
However, the small fraction that were still unsure of what Atkinson brings to the table, were also sold after his incredible display with the bat. With England playing a batter less, there was pressure on the lower order to step up with the bat. The hosts were in a tricky position at 216-6, and Atkinson stepped up with a ton to nearly double the team's total.
The biggest compliment that Atkinson can receive from his exploits was the fact he hardly looked like a lower-order batter. His sublime 118-run knock off 115 deliveries evoked comparisons to Jaques Kallis by Joe Root, who watched the innings from the other end.
#2 Olly Stone proves himself as the ideal backup for Mark Wood
England faced another crisis in their injury-ravaged home season after Mark Wood was ruled out of the remainder of the series against Sri Lanka. The team are no strangers to Wood's recurring injuries given the intensity with which he bowls, but they have always found it difficult to replace him in the playing XI.
Olly Stone made a return to the playing XI after three years, and proved that he can do a credible job in Wood's absence. The right-arm pacer picked up four wickets, and was largely consistent in his bowling. He has an opportunity to claim another chance since England might look to rest some of the frontline bowlers for the dead rubber clash.
The pacer's ability to extract bounce due to his height and his pace makes him a useful asset for the Ashes series in Australia, particularly if Jofra Archer is not fit. He can certainly be on the squad, with rotating the pacers being a key factor in the lengthy five-match affair.
#3 The contrasting times for Joe Root and Ollie Pope
Joe Root has enjoyed a magnificent home summer, scoring runs for fun and with utter ease. Pope, on the other hand, has had painful stays at the crease, especially after being appointed captain. His time out in the middle with the bat has been full of near-misses, mistimed strokes, and eventual dismissal.
Root has etched himself among the greats to make it a weird crossover with the past. He overtook Alastair Cook's record for most Test centuries by an English batter, and with each progressive innings, Sachin Tendulkar's record of most Test runs is in grave danger. The former England skipper scored twin centuries in the second Test, making up for the top-order's lack of contribution.
Pope has already copped a lot of criticism by the ruthless English media and pundits for his inability to balance both leadership and batting. After scoring only 18 runs in the second Test and losing his wicket to Asitha Fernando, he heads into the final match of the series under a great deal of pressure.