Joe Root labelled James Anderson as England's greatest bowler but insisted the future is bright following Gus Atkinson's sensational debut against West Indies.
Anderson called time on his international career at Lord's on Friday, taking four wickets on his final appearance as Ben Stokes' team embark on a new era without the legendary seamer.
While replacing Anderson, who took 704 wickets in total, is an unenviable task, Atkinson shone for England after becoming the 19th male player to take 10 wickets on his Test match debut against the West Indies.
Atkinson's figures of 12-106 were the fourth best any player has managed in their first Test, having only made his white-ball debuts in both T20Is and ODIs over the past 12 months.
"I think the future does look very bright in the bowling department," Root said.
"We've lost our greatest ever bowler but for Gus to come in and do that shows a lot about where we are as a team. We are moving in the right direction."
With two more Tests against the Windies and a three-match series against Sri Lanka scheduled for later in the summer, Root is already looking ahead to the highly anticipated Ashes clash with Australia next year.
England will be aiming for their first series win over Australia since 2015, and Root believes Atkinson could emerge as a key figure in those conditions.
"I think as a player, the Ashes is the series that you're always looking forward to, they're the ones you're always building towards.
"When teams have gone out there, what they need for those conditions is someone like Gus that can bowl in the late 80mphs, early 90mphs, and still move the ball around and make things happen at high pace."
Root, who has played 110 matches alongside Anderson, only behind Stuart Broad (138) and Alastair Cook (130) in terms of shared matches, expressed deep admiration for Anderson's remarkable career.
England's former Test captain said: "It's been an incredible tribute, hasn't it?
"The fact we only had an hour's play [on Friday] and we got a full house at Lord's just shows the impact that Jimmy's career has had on so many people.
"These days, they're few and far between. You don't get the opportunity to celebrate such a wonderful career and someone that's done things in the game that no one else has done before.
"I think it's something that we#ll look back at and treasure. For me, all I've ever known for England is playing alongside Jimmy and that's been for 12 years."
Lionesses captain Williamson reminds Three Lions of successes despite Euro 2024 agony
England responding to their Euro 2024 heartbreak with success in the future will taste "even sweeter", according to Lionesses captain Leah Williamson.
The England Women's star launched a staunch defence of Gareth Southgate's men's side after their 2-1 defeat in the European Championship final to Spain.
Southgate's Three Lions are the first side in history to lose two consecutive Euros finals, while the England manager is the first to suffer defeat in two separate showpieces of the tournament.
Having lost the Women's World Cup final to Spain last year, Williamson can somewhat relate, but reminded England supporters of the good times under Southgate, whose future remains uncertain.
"Devastated, especially knowing some of them personally as well," Williamson told reporters ahead of Tuesday's clash with Sweden in qualifying for the Women's European Championship in 2025.
"What Gareth and his team have done over the last three, four years, reaching finals and bringing that dream closer to reality, we are very lucky as fans of England, men's and women's, to be in the position that we're in.
"They didn't quite get over the line to a fantastic Spanish team, I know they'll be devastated about it, it will take a while for them to get over it.
"But us as a country, we've been blessed with incredible tournaments. And when those wins come, which I do believe they will, then they'll be even sweeter."
England Women's boss Sarina Wiegman led her side to Euro 2022 glory against Germany before the agony against Spain the following year.
Therefore, Wiegman knows all too well about suffering from setbacks.
"Takes about three weeks, it took me three weeks to get over it," an honest Wiegman said on how Southgate and Co. will recover.
"It's very hard ... when you have given your everything, then you hope you win and when you don't, you are really disappointed.
"But then you start thinking: Okay, did we get everything out of ourselves? Did we do everything that we could that was in our control?
"And then you have to accept it. It's easier to accept a win than to accept a loss but yeah, for me that takes it took a while."
West Indies Coach Andre Coley calls for grit ahead of crucial second Test against England
West Indies coach Andre Coley has challenged his team to draw upon their resilience from earlier this year as they gear up for the second Test against England, starting on Tuesday. Following a heavy defeat by an innings at Lord's, Coley is urging his players to channel the fighting spirit they displayed in Australia, where they turned their series around with a remarkable victory.
In January, the West Indies suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat in the first Test at Adelaide Oval. However, they bounced back dramatically in the second Test at the Gabba, thanks to Shamar Joseph's sensational seven-wicket haul in the second innings. As they prepare for the second Test at Trent Bridge, Coley is confident his team can draw inspiration from that experience and set the stage for a thrilling decider at Edgbaston.
Reflecting on the Gabba Test, Coley said, "The way we bounced back was powerful. It shows that even if you start poorly, you can compose yourself and come back strong in a series. That's the mindset we need to carry into this second Test."
Despite the defeat at Lord's, Coley believes his team has learned valuable lessons. "We've had time to acclimatize and get time in the middle. Yes, the result at Lord's wasn't what we wanted, but there's a lot to learn from it. This is a young, emerging side, and we're positive about our approach to the second Test."
Coley emphasized the importance of intensity and longer partnerships from his batters. "We need to show more intensity in the field and put together longer partnerships. There were moments in the game where we showed grit, but we need to be consistent. Our bowlers did well to restrict England, and now it's up to our batters to build on that."
The coach also highlighted the importance of mental and emotional resilience. "Test cricket is challenging, especially away from home. Our players need to be mentally and emotionally prepared. We have it within our ranks to compete with England, and we need to believe in our abilities."
Coley is confident his team can rise to the occasion. "We know the conditions will be testing, but we have the talent and the spirit to compete. Our players are in good spirits, and we're ready to take on the challenge at Trent Bridge."
As the West Indies prepare for the crucial second Test, Coley's message is clear: with the right mindset and determination, they can bounce back and keep their series hopes alive.
Fletcher hits 60 as Kandy Falcons secure dominant 54-run win over Dambulla Sixers in Lanka Premier League
Opener Andre Fletcher hit his third fifty of the season and second in the last three games to lead the Kandy Falcons to a 54-run win over the Dambulla Sixers in Lanka Premier League action at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Monday.
The Falcons posted an imposing 222-4 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Sixers.
Fletcher hit just one four and seven sixes on his way to a top score of 60 from 34 balls while Kamindu Mendis hit 51* off 24 balls including five fours and two sixes.
Angelo Mathews also finished 44* off 23 balls, hitting five sixes in the process.
Dushan Hemantha took 3-14 from his four overs for the Sixers.
Dambulla were then reduced to 168-9 from their 20 overs in reply despite 74 off 40 balls from Kusal Perera.
Captain Wanindu Hasaranga took 4-35 from his four overs for the Falcons while Dasun Shanaka took 3-29 from four overs in support.
Full Scores:
Kandy Falcons 222-4 off 20 overs (Andre Fletcher 60, Kamindu Mendis 51*, Angelo Mathews 44*, Dushan Hemantha 3-14)
Dambulla Sixers 168-9 off 20 overs (Kusal Perera 74, Mark Chapman 24, Wanindu Hasaranga 4-35, Dasun Shanaka 3-29)
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