LONDON: Paceman Jofra Archer has been named in England’s squad for the second Test against India after an absence of more than four years.
The 30-year old fast bowler, hampered by injuries during his career, has played just 13 Tests and none since February 2021.
His most recent match for England was in March against South Africa in a One-day International at the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
Archer returned to first-class action for his English county team Sussex for the first time in four years on Sunday, taking a single wicket in the drawn match against Durham.
He admitted returning to red-ball cricket was a mental challenge but said he was ready for Test cricket.
“Yeah. I guess so,” he told the BBC. “I just want to get through the game. I’m glad I’ve finished a day of four-day cricket.”
Ben Stokes’s team secured a thrilling five-wicket win on Tuesday in the series opener against India at Headingley.
Archer’s addition on Thursday was the only change to the squad for next week’s second Test in Birmingham.
The Barbados-born player burst onto the scene in 2019, hailed as a key weapon for England in their search for genuine pace to unsettle opponents.
He bowled the decisive super over in England’s World Cup win over New Zealand at Lord’s in 2019 and took 22 wickets in four Tests that followed against Australia in the drawn Ashes series.
But Archer was dogged by an elbow injury first sustained in 2020 that required multiple operations and had to work his way back from a recurring stress fracture in his back, first sustained in 2022.
He was ruled out of England’s recent ODI series against the West Indies with a thumb injury sustained while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
Archer has taken 42 Test wickets in his 13 Tests at an average of 31.
Warwickshire batter Jacob Bethell and bowlers Sam Cook and Jamie Overton, who did not feature at Headingley, have retained their places in the squad for the second Test, which starts at Edgbaston on July 2.
Squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2025
