England add Jofra Archer to squad ahead of second Test against India

South Wales Guardian

2 days ago

The 30-year-old pace bowler, who has not played Test cricket since February 2021, returns to the England set-up in the only change to Ben Stokes' squad that secured a thrilling five-wicket win in the series opener at Headingley.
Archer's Test career has been derailed by a string of injuries.
THERE IT ISSS!!! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ydaDtRMmdG
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) June 23, 2025
He played his first red-ball match since May 2021 this week, marking his return with a wicket in Sussex's County Championship draw against Durham in Chester-le-Street.
With the start of the 2025-26 Ashes series less than five months away, former England captain Michael Vaughan feels Archer needs to play at international level this summer but advised waiting until at least the third Test at Lord's.
'I hope England aren't too funky in terms of just swapping and changing for changing's sake; I like seeing teams play over a period,' Vaughan told the PA news agency.
'Yes, you want to see Jofra throughout the summer, that's not a debate. We need to see Jofra play a Test match or two but on the back of just one innings and one four-day game in four years, I just don't see the rush.
'Let him play for Sussex for one more week and then potentially pencil him in for the Test match at Lord's.'
Archer burst on to the international scene in 2019, bowling the decisive super-over in England's World Cup win over New Zealand at Lord's and taking 22 wickets at 20.27 in four Tests that followed against Australia in the drawn Ashes series.
But an elbow injury first sustained in 2020 and that required four operations curtailed Archer's progress and he then had to work his way back from a recurring stress fracture in his back, which he first sustained in 2022.
He returned to action for England in their ODI series against Bangladesh in March 2023, but was then sidelined by elbow issues and did not play international cricket until May 2024.
Archer was ruled out of England's ODI series against the West Indies last month with a thumb injury sustained playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
'We don't quite know how his body's going to stand up,' continued Vaughan.
Jofra with the breakthrough! ⚡️ https://t.co/jcdpDAxU8y pic.twitter.com/WwBvCO1VH8
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) June 23, 2025
'All the talk is that his body's good. But let's not be too harsh on him in terms of building him up so much, because he hasn't played.
'At times he looked short of a gallop in the Champions Trophy, then he had spells in the IPL that were very good but that's just four overs.
'I mean, England need him. You look at a barrage of a quick bowlers that you want to arrive in Australia with, England will want him in that that squad.
'But I wouldn't want to rush him too soon to then take him back a step or two.'
Warwickshire batter Jacob Bethell and bowlers Sam Cook and Jamie Overton, who did not feature at Headingley, have retained their places in the squad.
The second Test in a five-match series starts next Wednesday, with the following Tests at Lord's (July 10-14), Old Trafford (July 23-27) and the Oval (July 31-August 4).
England men's Test Squad: Ben Stokes (Durham), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).