{"id":39436,"date":"2025-08-02T01:37:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T01:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/39436\/"},"modified":"2025-08-02T01:37:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T01:37:10","slug":"the-skilful-and-consistent-bowler-england-must-pick-for-the-ashes-in-australia-writes-nasser-hussain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/39436\/","title":{"rendered":"The skilful and consistent bowler England MUST pick for the Ashes in Australia, writes NASSER HUSSAIN"},"content":{"rendered":"

By NASSER HUSSAIN<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 16:31 EDT, 1 August 2025 | Updated: 16:53 EDT, 1 August 2025 <\/p>\n

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 \u2014 and one that should be in their Ashes starting XI.<\/p>\n

England are looking for bowlers that can bowl well in all conditions, and Atkinson strikes me as one of those.<\/p>\n

With Chris Woakes now out of contention due to his shoulder dislocation, I would start Atkinson in the first Test in Perth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I’d have Jamie Smith at No 7. A spinner, whoever that might be, Atkinson, then one out of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer<\/a> \u2014 probably Archer given the way he’s bowled in the previous two Tests \u2014 Brydon Carse or Josh Tongue, plus Ben Stokes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Atkinson strikes me as that consistent bowler a team needs in Australia<\/a> \u2014 one with a repeatable action, skilful and quick enough.<\/p>\n

A lot of people go on about needing express pace in Australian conditions, but look at Glenn McGrath \u2014 he wasn’t rapid. He was skilful, but equally he had the requisite speed to cause opposition batsmen problems.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Gus Atkinson took five wickets at an economy rate of 1.52 in India’s first innings at The Oval<\/p>\n

\"Atkinson's <\/p>\n

Atkinson’s five victims included opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was out lbw for just two runs<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

That’s the combination you need to get early wickets in Australia, really.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Atkinson had some fortune, too, coming in on his home ground, on the first pitch this series that has provided some sideways assistance.<\/p>\n

The others have slogged on four flat, tough pitches, while he’s come in fresh, been presented with a grassy surface and bowled beautifully.<\/p>\n

It’s a good sign that a bowler can come back with such rhythm immediately.<\/p>\n

Some take time to get up to speed when they come back from injury, but with Atkinson \u2014 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 \u2014 it was like he’d never been away.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"Atkinson <\/p>\n

Atkinson took his sixth wicket of the fifth Test on Friday when he got rid of\u00a0Sai Sudharsan<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The right arm fast medium bowler must surely feature for England in the Ashes later this year<\/p>\n

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 \u2014 the full one, pitched right up.<\/p>\n

As well as being very skilful, he’s also very calm. Like his Surrey team-mate Smith, he seems born for Test match cricket.<\/p>\n

They take emotion out of their performances, just rocking up to do their jobs. I quite like that in a cricketer.<\/p>\n

Some wear their heart on their sleeve. Take Mohammed Siraj, for example. Atkinson, though, just lets his bowling do the talking.<\/p>\n

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