England must pick Gus Atkinson for the Ashes after his five-wicket haul against India… he’s the skilful, consistent bowler they need in Australia, writes NASSER HUSSAIN

The Gus Atkinson we have witnessed in this Test match is the version we saw when he first broke into the England side last summer — and one that should be in their Ashes starting XI.

England are looking for bowlers that can bowl well in all conditions, and Atkinson strikes me as one of those.

With Chris Woakes now out of contention due to his shoulder dislocation, I would start Atkinson in the first Test in Perth.

I’d have Jamie Smith at No 7. A spinner, whoever that might be, Atkinson, then one out of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer — probably Archer given the way he’s bowled in the previous two Tests — Brydon Carse or Josh Tongue, plus Ben Stokes.

Atkinson strikes me as that consistent bowler a team needs in Australia — one with a repeatable action, skilful and quick enough.

A lot of people go on about needing express pace in Australian conditions, but look at Glenn McGrath — he wasn’t rapid. He was skilful, but equally he had the requisite speed to cause opposition batsmen problems.

Sometimes you can have very skilful bowlers that aren’t quite quick enough, or rapid ones that don’t do enough with the ball, and Australian players don’t fear pace. Atkinson’s one of these bowlers that will be at 85mph on the speed gun and because he moves the ball, he rushes you as a batsman.

That’s the combination you need to get early wickets in Australia, really.

Here, in taking five for 33 in the first innings on his first Test appearance since May, he was able to control the movement on offer in a way that Tongue and Jamie Overton were unable to. Although Tongue did improve in the second innings.

Atkinson had some fortune, too, coming in on his home ground, on the first pitch this series that has provided some sideways assistance.

The others have slogged on four flat, tough pitches, while he’s come in fresh, been presented with a grassy surface and bowled beautifully.

It’s a good sign that a bowler can come back with such rhythm immediately.

Some take time to get up to speed when they come back from injury, but with Atkinson — whose only match bowling since injuring his hamstring against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge was 30 overs in a second-team game for Surrey last week — it was like he’d never been away.

By the end of 2024, his speeds were dropping off a little bit, to the low 80s, and it was looking like the workload was just taking a slight toll on his zip.

But he has been England’s best bowler from ball one here by far, unearthing the right length for this Oval pitch, following the odd back of a length delivery with the sucker punch — the full one, pitched right up.

As well as being very skilful, he’s also very calm. Like his Surrey team-mate Smith, he seems born for Test match cricket.

They take emotion out of their performances, just rocking up to do their jobs. I quite like that in a cricketer.

Some wear their heart on their sleeve. Take Mohammed Siraj, for example. Atkinson, though, just lets his bowling do the talking.