Atkinson now has to be a contender for every Ashes match after heroics against India
Gus Atkinson will prefer to remember the first delivery after lunch that pinned India captain Shubman Gill lbw rather than the one that Washington Sundar powered into the stands for a six that brought up a potentially match-sealing half-century.
Washington’s assault, getting to his fifty in 39 balls and clubbing four sixes in total, helped set England a target of 374 to win this fifth and final Test following a last-wicket stand of 39 in 25 balls of which all the runs came from his swishing blade.
It means a series that started with the Bazballers successfully chasing down 371 at Headingley, will end on Sundaywith roughly the same scenario but on an altogether harder batting surface.
Whatever happens – and an India win and 2-2 series scoreline seems the most likely outcome – England have certainly had a good look at their bowling depth in a week that started with captain Ben Stokes being ruled out through injury and Chris Woakes dislocating his left shoulder on the first day here at The Oval.
The unfortunate Woakes is now likely to miss the Ashes. His injury has also left England a man down in this match, a handicap that was keenly felt by the weary home bowlers as India powered to 396 in their second innings.
The Curate’s egg that is Josh Tongue, a fast bowler whose five-wicket haul on this third day did not tell the full story of his up-and-down performance, is almost certain to be on the flight to Australia come November.
But in Atkinson, whose stunning first summer in 2024 included not only a hatful of wickets but a Test century at Lord’s, England have a bowler who in all likelihood must start all five Ashes Tests.
This match was his first of the summer following a hamstring injury sustained against Zimbabwe in the one-off Test at Trent Bridge in May.
He had started to tail off and look weary towards the end of a first year that still saw him take 12 wickets at 24.91 in New Zealand.
Here, though, having played little cricket since May save for a Surrey second XI match last week, he looked back to his very best, taking eight wickets overall across 48.4 overs.
He would have had one more wicket, too, had Harry Brook not dropped Yashasvi Jaiswal on 20 late on day two – a missed chance that cost England 98 runs given the rambunctious young opener went on to score a match-defining 118.
For an England team that can no longer call on the retired James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Atkinson is the man to open the bowling for this team in Australia, probably alongside Jofra Archer, all things being well.
His easy action, skill and nagging line make him a difficult customer to face. And his record after 13 Tests – 63 wickets at 22.01 – is outstanding.
The fact he has maintained his pace throughout this Test is encouraging too. Atkinson’s average speed during his first spell of the match was 85.6 miles per hour. That average was only slightly down, at 84.5mph, on the third afternoon.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain is in no doubt about Atkinson’s suitability for Australian conditions.
“With Chris Woakes now out of contention due to his shoulder dislocation, I would start Atkinson in the first Test in Perth,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column on Saturday.
“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.
“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.”
At 27, Atkinson is now at the age where should be reaching the peak of his powers.
What he did in this fifth Test against India helped keep England in this game when the odds were firmly stacked against them.
The delivery to Gill after lunch was a perfect inswinger that was just too good for the best batter of this series.
Australia’s vulnerable top order will be far easier pray this winter than Gill, who has 754 runs in his first series as India captain.
It will be an ask for any bowler to play all five Tests this winter and England will certainly need to be better with their rotation of bowlers than they have been in this series.
Indeed, the failure to rest up the likes of Woakes and Brydon Carse left them in a position where they were forced to put out a shadow attack for this deciding match.
But Atkinson probably should have been brought back a Test earlier than he did.
In Australia, on juicier pitches that are likely to make five-day finishes far less likely than they have been this summer, there is every chance Atkinson can lead the attack throughout.