Gus Atkinson is still processing his outstanding performance on his Test debut for England on Wednesday, where he took seven West Indies wickets for 45 runs—a remarkable start for any Englishman in Test cricket.
“I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet, to be honest,” Atkinson told reporters. “Looking up at the board and seeing my figures and just thinking ‘Wow’. It’s a very special day. More than I could have dreamt for.”
Atkinson felt that the spotlight being on James Anderson, who was playing his 188th and final Test, allowed him to perform without the added pressure of public scrutiny.
“The focus was on Jimmy, so it was nice to go under the radar a bit and just focus on performing as best as I could,” he said. “To be out there alongside Jimmy in his final test was incredible. Being in the Long Room and having Jimmy lead us onto the pitch was a pretty surreal moment.”
Atkinson admitted to feeling nervous at the start of the day but managed to keep his composure.
“I was a bit nervous this morning—woke up and all you could think about was the day ahead,” he said. “I tried to keep as level as possible. My dad was saying, ‘It’s the biggest day of your life,’ and I was like, ‘Relax! Relax—try not to think like that,'” he added with a laugh. “Once the first few overs were bowled, I was pretty calm.”
Despite the nerves, Atkinson had quiet confidence in his abilities, thanks to his previous experience playing shorter matches at Lord’s.
“I’ve played a few white ball games here. It was special, I’ve always felt like I would bowl quite well here with the red ball, so to be able to come out and get the opportunity in the first test of the summer is great, and thankfully it went well.”
