Jofra Archer looks ‘ready to go' in ‘blockbuster' third Test

Independent

15 hours ago

England head coach Brendon McCullum has predicted a 'blockbuster' third Test against India, hoping a spicier Lord's pitch can assist a bowling attack that is expected to feature Jofra Archer.
The first two games of the Rothesay series have seen an avalanche of runs, with 11 centuries between the teams and nine players averaging more than 50.
India skipper Shubman Gill has been particularly prolific, piling up 430 in two innings on a flat deck at Edgbaston as his side levelled the scoreline at 1-1.
He now has 585 runs, with the potential for six more attempts, and is being touted as a contender for the first player to score 1,000 in a single series.
But even he suggested a better balance between the disciplines was preferable, warning the game must not 'lose its essence' by favouring batters too heavily.
And McCullum hopes for a reset at Lord's, where runs proved harder to come by in the recent World Test Championship final.
Asked what kind of surface England had requested for Thursday's match, he said: 'Something with a bit more pace, a bit more bounce and maybe a little bit of sideways (movement), hopefully.
'It'll be a blockbuster either way, but I think it's going to set up for a cracker, especially if there's plenty of life in it.'
There are due to be changes in both pace attacks, with India already confirming the return of star seamer Jasprit Bumrah after he was rested in Birmingham and England ready to call on Archer for the first time in over four years.
Archer is finally back in red-ball cricket after a litany of injury problems and looks set to feature, despite bowling just 18 overs in a solitary first-class appearance for Sussex.
'He'll certainly be available for selection. Jofra is looking fit, he's looking strong, he's looking ready to go and he'll come into calculations,' said McCullum.
'It's hugely exciting. He's buzzing as well. He's obviously been through his injuries and his time out of Test cricket, but we all know what he's capable of achieving and we hope that when the opportunity does arrive for him, he's able to recapture and improve on what he's been able to do already.'
One change McCullum has not considered is using Jacob Bethell in place of frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir. The latter's continued selection continues to spark debate, with his eight wickets coming at a cost of 59.50 in the first two games against India.
But, while Bethell bowls improving left-arm spin, that is not his current route into the side.
'He's a batting option. He's the next one in if something happens, but we don't crowbar anything,' McCullum confirmed.
'He's obviously a young guy, he's got an immense amount of talent across all disciplines in the game. He's taking the opportunity while he's got some downtime away from playing and still being around the squad to work on his spin and I think that's got to be a good thing. But that's certainly not what we're looking at, at the moment, no.'
As for Bashir, he added: 'We know (Bashir) is not the finished article yet, but I feel like he's getting better and better. As the series wears on, I think we'll see him play quite a big hand.'