India vs England: Jofra Archer set for England return in 2nd test against India
Archer set for England return after four-year absence
England continued their impressive home form in the longest format of the game over the last week when they claimed a stunning five-wicket victory over India in the first match of the newly named Anderson-Tendulkar Test series at Headingley on Wednesday, which also confirmed our cricket predictions for the match.
India got off to an excellent start on Day 1, with young Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring a century in his maiden Test match in England, becoming only the fifth Indian batter to do so after the likes of former national team captain Sourav Ganguly and Murali Vijay.
Newly appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill was also amongst the runs, scoring 147 in 227 balls in the first innings, his deputy, Rishabh Pant, notched up centuries in each innings, and KL Rahul also smashed a ton in the second innings, showing no regard for the home side’s bowling attack.
The Three Lions were hit hard with injuries ahead of the series, particularly in the bowling department, with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Olly Stone all missing out on the first match. However, Archer has now been cleared to play and has already rejoined the team ahead of the Edgbaston showdown.
The 30-year-old pace bowler has not featured for England in the longest format since their 2021 tour of India, with the last of his 13 caps coming in Ahmedabad. After that series, Archer faced several injury setbacks, which saw him play in just seven limited-over matches between March 2021 and May 2024.
The English speedster shook off the rust in domestic competition last weekend for Sussex at Chester-le-Street against Durham. He managed to get through 18 overs without any major issues and picked up a wicket for 32 runs in a match that ended in a draw.
Former England stars not convinced by Archer’s hasty recall
While many English fans are eager to see Archer return to action against India at Edgbaston, several former England greats are less convinced and voiced their concerns about the risks of rushing the paceman back into the team, given his recurring injury issues.
Michael Vaughan was one of the first to react to Archer’s recall, revealing that he felt the 30-year-old could use at least one more tune-up match with Sussex before being thrust back into the England team - against India no less. He said:
“I just don't understand the rush, you know, he's not played the longer format for four years. He's had one outing for Sussex up in Durham. I personally would have let Jofra play one more four-day game, get a few more overs under the belt, and go with the same team that played so well at Leeds.”
Similar sentiments were shared by England’s former captain Nasser Hussain, who cautioned English selectors that tossing Archer straight back into the demands of five-day international cricket could be dangerous both for the team and the player. Hussain explained:
"I think it's too much of a risk this week but it may have gone so well - I don't know Jofra Archer's body - it may have gone so well that they say 'we'll play you this week'. Then the problem is who do you leave out? I do think it is a gamble worth taking, I just don't know if it's worth taking this week. I would do it a week after at Lord's."
In 13 Tests for the Three Lions, Archer has claimed 42 wickets at an excellent economy rate of just 2.99 and a best of 6/45. He has also notched up 54 ODI wickets in 31 matches and has taken 41 scalps in 34 T20 internationals since his debut in 2019.
