England started Day Three of the Kia Oval Test against Sri Lanka without Gus Atkinson on the field.
Sri Lanka had ended Day Two at 211-5 in response to England's 325. Atkinson, one of the four pacers in the England XI bowled nine overs on Saturday (September 7) for 46 runs and was the second busiest seamer for England after Chris Woakes, who bowled 11 overs, which included four balls of off-spin.
However, Atkinson didn't take the field as England came out on Day Three. While he was not in any visible discomfort on Day Two, an update from the England side has revealed that the seamer "has a tight quad" and that he is "currently being assessed by the England medical team".
Atkinson last bowled in the 28th over of the Sri Lanka innings, with the last two balls of his ninth over going for fours.
Disruptions due to the weather continued on Day Three as well, as the players had to walk off the field after just four overs due to rain. Sri Lanka lost the wicket of their captain Dhananjaya de Silva in the short spell on the field. Play resumed after a 30-minute stoppage, with Josh Hull continuing his spell.
5 Tests 🏴
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 6, 2024
33 wickets @ 18.06 ⚡️
3 five-wicket hauls 🔥
Why has Gus Atkinson made such a successful start to life as a Test cricketer? And what does he have in common with Courtney Walsh's bowling style? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/d49oEcyxdW
Will Atkinson play a further part in the game?
There has been no official word on the timeline of Atkinson's return to the field.
England's four-pronged seam attack means even if he fails to play any further part in the game, they have enough options available to take 20 Sri Lankan wickets. Atkinson, however, has had a tremendous start to his Test career, and is the most in-form bowler England have at the moment. They would be hoping to have him back at the earliest.
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