Reeling from a crushing 336-run defeat at Edgbaston, England have moved swiftly to bolster their bowling attack ahead of the third Test against India at Lord’s, starting Thursday, July 10.The England Men’s selection panel has added Gus Atkinson, a right-arm fast bowler from Surrey, to the squad. The 27-year-old returns to the Test set-up after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during England’s victory over Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!His inclusion is seen as a direct response to England’s struggles with the ball in Birmingham, where India amassed a massive 587 in the first innings, led by Shubman Gill’s commanding 269. The English bowlers toiled as the visitors posted over 1000 runs across two innings, leaving skipper Ben Stokes visibly frustrated.
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Do you think Gus Atkinson’s inclusion will improve England’s bowling attack?
“At 200/5 we were happy,” Stokes said after the game. “But we just weren’t able to blast them open. They ended up getting a big first innings total after us having a good start.”
The new addition brings pace and proven domestic pedigree – with 55 wickets in just 12 matches at an average of 22.30, including best figures of 7/45. His return could also pave the way for a potential partnership with Jofra Archer, who trained with the squad in Birmingham and is being closely monitored ahead of a possible Test comeback after a four-year injury layoff.With the series level at 1-1, England may also consider resting Brydon Carse or Josh Tongue, both of whom have endured heavy workloads in the first two Tests.The squad shake-up reflects England’s urgency to regain momentum and recalibrate their bowling firepower as the series shifts to the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
England squad for the third Test vs India
Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir, Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Sam Cook.
