England batsman Joe Root Shines with 33rd Test Century as England Dominates Sri Lanka at Lord's

Gus Atkinson's Impressive Innings Earns High Praise from Root, Who Draws Parallels with Jacques Kallis

Joe Root with his 33rd century in Test cricket, matched the most by an English Cricketer /

By Moses Ochieng

England’s star batsman Joe Root relished as England dominated the Sri Lankan bowlers on Day 1 of the second Test at Lord's, with Root scoring his 33rd Test century. However, it was Gus Atkinson's batting that also drew significant attention.

Root praised Atkinson for his proactive innings, where he remained unbeaten on 74 off 81 balls by the end of the day. The duo put together a 92-run partnership, and Root specifically lauded Atkinson's ability to hit sixes down the 'V', even likening the 26-year-old to South African great Jacques Kallis.

"Yeah, it was good, it was nice. I'll tell you why it was good watching Gussy (Gus Atkinson) bat at the other end. Being at the other end, when he hit those straight sixes, they were unbelievable shots. It's like watching someone like Jacques Kallis play. It was a great little innings from him, and there were some good partnerships along the way," said Root on X.

The former captain reflected on another legendary leader of the England team, Alastair Cook, praising Cook's natural qualities, particularly his openness to meaningful discussions and his reliability in offering support and advice during the most challenging times.

"Yeah, it's obviously nice, but it's just, I guess you try, you pride yourself on trying to contribute and helping put the team in a winning position. We've had a few laughs and jokes about things, but Cookie's (Alastair Cook) always been someone for me to look up to, bounce ideas off, and talk to, and felt under pressure or things haven't been going well, and he's been very supportive and helpful. It's great to have people like that in and around you," Root continued.

 By reaching his 33rd century in Test cricket, Root matched the record for the most centuries by an English cricketer in the format. With this milestone achieved, Root now has his sights set on surpassing Alastair Cook's record for the most Test runs by an English player, a feat that appears within reach.