Gus Atkinson Targets Further England Glory After All-Round Domination At Lord's

Surrey quick Atkinson crashed a remarkable 118 from just 115 balls in England's first innings before returning to tear through the visitors' batting line-up on Sunday.

The 26-year-old finished with second-innings figures of 5-62, removing three of Sri Lanka's top four scorers, as England secured a 190-run victory to seal an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.

That made Atkinson just the third England player to both score a century and take five wickets in a single Test, and the first since Ian Botham in 1984.

Atkinson hopes for further success in the whites of his country as he attempts to settle down from his glory at the home of cricket.

"I couldn't have asked for much more, to get on both honours boards is incredible, will take a while to sink in, batting alongside [Joe] Root was special in the first innings," the bowler said. 

"Dad, I'm sure has had a great week. My first red-ball games at Lord's have gone my way, I enjoy bowling with the slope, long may it continue.

"The way we go about the game, we like to attack, and it's great to attack without worrying about runs."

Atkinson has now taken at least two wickets in each of his first 10 Test innings, while he is only the seventh bowler to achieve that milestone in the history of men's Tests, and the first since Brett Lee in 1999.

Though his introduction to red-ball internationals has been remarkable, Surrey team-mate Ollie Pope continues to struggle with the bat.

Stand-in captain Pope, in for the injured Ben Stokes, has managed only 30 runs in his two matches in charge.

Stretching further back, Pope has just 17 as his highest score in five Test innings, and England's number three knows personal improvements are needed.

"That's the way cricket is sometimes – form comes and goes," said Pope. "The best players are the ones who can draw a line under it. Hopefully, I can put a score together."

Pope has also come under scrutiny at the helm, with former England skipper Michael Vaughan saying the 26-year-old is "not the kind of personality I'd want as the England captain".

"Chatting to Stokesy before this series, when you're captain you attract a lot more [attention]," Pope responded to questions over his leadership capabilities.

"It's important to block it out and stay close with the people around me. There are a lot of voices, a lot of guys who want to have their say, past cricketers as well. That's completely fine, everyone is entitled to their opinion."