The Cricketer looks at the main talking points from day two of the fifth Test between England and India at the Kia Oval
Gus Atkinson came into this fifth Test against India at the Kia Oval off the back of a frustrating injury-interrupted summer.
He was England's highest Test wicket-taker in 2024, and his absence throughout these five matches may have been underrated.
But, with some club cricket for Spencer CC in the Surrey Championship and a second XI game under his belt in the last couple of weeks, he looked back to his best and was by far England's best bowler on the first day.
He reaped the rewards on the second morning as he added three wickets to his two overnight to bowl India out for 224 and secure his fourth Test five-wicket haul.
The 27-year-old had Washington Sundar caught on the hook before he finished off the innings when he bowled Mohammed Siraj and nicked off Prasidh Krishna in the same over.
It meant he had the honour of raising the ball aloft to acknowledge the crowd for the first time in internationals at his home ground.
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Ben Duckett went on the attack on a spicy pitch (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
India stormed back into the match after the lunch break to restrict England to a lead of just 23.
They did so thanks largely to Siraj, in his fifth Test of the series, who removed Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Jacon Bethell in a characteristically fiery and wholehearted post-lunch spell.
He was well supported by Krishna, who ended the innings with 4 for 62, before he returned to end the innings by encouraging Harry Brook to chop on for a well-made 52.
All of this came after England combatted India's significant movement in the air and off the pitch by posting an opening stand of 92 off just 72 balls.
The highlight of England's ferocious start with the bat was when Ben Duckett, the ball after being hit, reverse-swatted Akash Deep for six over the slip cordon.
He ramped Prasidh Krishna for six before his invention caused his undoing as he feathered another reverse through to the keeper to end his entertaining knock on 43.
Deep took the wicket and started the batter's departure from the playing surface by putting his arm around the shoulder and was probably fortunate not to get an angrier reaction from the batter before he was pulled away by teammates.
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England wear their Graham Thrope headbands on day one at the Kia Oval (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
The second day of the fifth Test at the Kia Oval commemorated former England and Surrey batter Graham Thorpe.
The left-hander, who played exactly 100 Tests for England, also served as the team's batting coach and worked closely throughout the young careers of Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
On August 1, which would have been his 56th birthday, players, spectators and commentators were asked to don his trademark headband to raise awareness for Mind, a mental health charity.
Thrope took his own life just under a year ago after a long battle with depression and anxiety.
By the end of play on the special day, proceeds raised at the ground and from those watching at home had reached £123,961.
Some of the England fielders even wore the headband while out on the field, and Mohammed Siraj even emerged from the rain break in England's first innings wearing his.
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