[Watch] Gus Atkinson reaches his maiden international ton with a boundary on day 2 of ENG vs SL 2024 2nd Test
England bowler Gus Atkinson will have his name etched on the Lord's honors board, as he reached his maiden century on Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka. The right-hander drove one straight down the ground and took off his helmet to celebrate the special moment.
Atkinson, aged 26, reached the magical three-figure mark in the 93rd over of the innings. It proved to be the second boundary of that over and struck one to end the over to put England in sight of a total of 400.
Watch the clip here:
Gus Atkinson, who made his Test debut against the West Indies at Lord's this summer, joined Joe Root in the 59th over of the innings on Day 1, with the hosts placed at 216/6. The Middlesex-born cricketer changed the complexion of the innings along with Root by the close.
The pair added 92 before Root perished for 143 and Atkinson remained unbeaten at 74, with the home side reaching 358/7.
"It's like watching someone like Jacques Kallis play" - Joe Root impressed by Gus Atkinson
After Day 1 of the Test, Root praised the youngster for hitting some unbelievable shots and playing like a genuine all-rounder to put their side in the box seat. He said in a video uploaded by the England Cricket Board (ECB):
"Yeah, it was good, it was nice. I'll tell you why I was good watching Gussy bat at the end, being at the other end when he hit those straight sixes, they were unbelievable. It's like watching someone like Jacques Kallis play. It was a great little innings from him, and there was some good partnerships along the way and we’ve found ourselves in a really good position now."
England lead the three-match series by 1-0 after a nervy win in Manchester. The hosts have been bowled out for 427 at Lord's.