During the second Test match against Sri Lanka at Lord's, England pacer Gus Atkinson joined an elite list of English players who have picked the most wickets in the first five long-format matches

In Sri Lanka's second innings, Atkinson picked up five wickets at an economy rate of 3.90 and helped England clinch a 190-run win over the visitors. With this, he became the fourth English player to pick up the most wickets in the first five Tests

Making his Test debut in 2024 against West Indies, the pacer has snapped 33 wickets in five matches of the format

Former English cricketer Nicholas Cook led the list with 34 wickets in his first five Test matches. Former England cricketers Fred Trueman and Thomas Richardson hold second and third place in the list, respectively. Both Trueman and Richardson have picked up 33 wickets in their first five Test matches after making their debut

Apart from this, Atkinson also delivered performances with the willow. In the first essay, he smashed 118 runs off 115 deliveries which was laced with 14 fours and 4 sixes. Later, in England's second innings, Atkinson departed early on 14 runs. His knock came in 12 balls which included 2 fours