Jofra Archer has officially returned to England’s Test setup after a gap of over four years. The pacer has been named in the playing XI for the third Test against India at Lord’s, starting July 10. Jofra Archer will replace Josh Tongue, who struggled to dictate terms in the second Test.
This will be a major comeback for Archer. Jofra Archer last played a Test in March 2021 against India. Since then, he has dealt with several injuries, including elbow and back issues, which kept him out of the purest format of the game.
Archer’s return was confirmed when England announced their playing XI ahead of the third Test. Head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have backed the decision in the first place. The duo added that the 29-year-old Jofra Archer is fit and raring to go.
Jofra Archer returns to England’s Test setup
Apart from Archer, the rest of the lineup remains unchanged from the second Test, where England suffered a heavy 336-run loss at Trent Bridge.
England needed a spark in their bowling after a poor outing in Birmingham. Josh Tongue went wicketless and looked off-rhythm in the game. Meanwhile, the Barbados-born Archer brings pace and bounce to the table. Besides that, he has got the ability to trouble batters on flat pitches.
England’s playing XI for the third Test
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir
For the unversed, Archer recently played a County Championship match for Sussex. The right-arm fast bowler delivered 18 overs and registered 1/32. More importantly, it was his first red-ball appearance in four years.
His last Test at Lord’s was his famous 2019 Ashes debut against Australia, where he bowled fiery spells and grabbed attention with his pace and aggression. The England pacer will hope to recreate that magic again, this time against the Shubman Gill-led Indian team.
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England have taken a cautious approach with Archer’s return. He has gradually returned through white-ball cricket and domestic red-ball matches. According to McCullum, the medical team has cleared him, and Archer himself is “buzzing to be back.”
Stokes mentioned that Archer’s workload will be monitored closely. The goal is to ease him into longer formats without triggering fresh injuries. Meanwhile, the series stands at 1-1. The first Test ended in favour of England as the hosts won by seven wickets to take the first lead in the series. On the other side of the coin, Team India dominated the second Test with both bat and ball. England’s bowling lacked bite in the Edgbaston Test. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Archer is aimed at fixing that.
Lord’s conditions are likely to suit seamers, especially in the early days. Archer, with his high-arm action and sharp bounce, could be the X-factor England need. While many have welcomed the move, some former cricketers like Michael Vaughan have questioned the timing.
The former England skipper said he would have preferred giving Archer more red-ball games before a full Test return. England have taken a bold call by bringing back Archer in a must-win game. With the series slipping away, they are banking on his experience to lift the side.
All eyes will be on how Archer performs after such a long break, especially at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, also known as the Home of Cricket. For the record, Archer has played 13 tests for England. Overall, he has accounted for 42 dismissals, including 3 five-wicket hauls. It will be quite interesting to see how he goes about his business in the upcoming Test match.
