On the opening day of the Test match at Lord's, Gus Atkinson made a stunning impact on his Test debut, overshadowing James Anderson's farewell. Atkinson, a 26-year-old quick from England, claimed an impressive 7 wickets for 45 runs in just 12 overs, including a dramatic triple wicket-maiden. His exceptional bowling performance helped bundle out the West Indies for 121 runs in their first innings.
The West Indies struggled right from the start after losing the toss and being asked to bat in challenging overcast conditions. Only debutant Mikyle Louis showed some resistance with 27 runs, while the rest of the batting lineup faltered against Atkinson's relentless bowling.
In response, England capitalised on their strong bowling performance with Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope leading the charge in their innings. Crawley scored a fluent 76 runs, while Pope contributed 57 runs, guiding England to a commanding position of 189-3 by stumps, holding a lead of 58 runs.
While much attention was initially on James Anderson's final Test appearance, it was Gus Atkinson who stole the spotlight with one of the best debut performances by an England bowler at Lord's, securing his place on the prestigious Lord's honours board for a five-wicket haul in a Test match.