Jofra Archer recalled by England for second Test vs India against county's wishes

Telegraph

26-06-2025

England have thrust Jofra Archer straight into their squad for Wednesday's second Test against India at Edgbaston, despite the Sussex coach's belief that he needs more time in county cricket.
Archer played his first first-class match for four years this week, for Sussex against Durham. He bowled only 18 overs across four spells, as the game petered out into a draw in which Sussex fielded just once. He was economical and bowled at good pace, however, and returned encouraging figures of 18-8-32-1 as Sussex continued their strong season by taking 14 points from the fixture.
At the end of the game, Paul Farbrace, the former England assistant coach who now runs Sussex's team, said he would not pick Archer for Test cricket until the third match of the series at Lord's on July 10.
England have instead added him to the squad for the second Test at Edgbaston, for which players report for duty on Saturday evening. The rest of the squad remains the same: the XI who won the first Test at Headingley, plus Jacob Bethell, Sam Cook and Jamie Overton.
Overton – and perhaps Cook – may return to play for their counties in the round of Championship action that starts on Sunday. Archer does not appear at all likely to play for Sussex against Warwickshire at Hove and is in line to return to Test cricket – whether at Edgbaston or Lord's – on the back of a single County Championship innings.
After this week's round, the Vitality Blast returns for its second block, meaning there is no Championship action until July 22, the second day of the penultimate Test at Old Trafford.
Archer last played Test cricket in early 2021 and has been bedevilled by a string of nasty elbow and back stress fractures and, most recently, a fractured thumb suffered at the Indian Premier League that delayed his carefully-planned return.
Fantastic to see Jofra Archer back with a red ball in hand pic.twitter.com/1TTjSmrikt
— Rothesay County Championship (@CountyChamp) June 23, 2025
Speaking to reporters at the Riverside after the game, Farbrace said: 'The conversation we've had was that he would come and play in this game and then he'd be assessed at the end of this game.
'It's up to Rob [Key], Luke [Wright, the national selector], Ben [Stokes, the captain] and Brendon McCullum [the coach] to decide whether they want to pick him to play at Edgbaston on Wednesday. When I'm asked – and I haven't been yet – all I'll report back is that he looks in great rhythm, he bowled very nicely, he's bowled 18 overs so far in the game, it's their decision whether they pick him or not.
'If I was in their situation my honest answer would be that I wouldn't pick Jofra for the next Test match. I would save him for the third Test match [at Lord's]. I'd pick the same team for the next game and bring Jofra back into the third game of the series. That's how I would manage him but I'm no longer involved in that. If they choose to ask my opinion, that would be my view.'
England are also still missing Gus Atkinson (hamstring) and Mark Wood (knee). Atkinson could return for Lord's, but Wood's best case scenario is playing Championship cricket in late July and the fifth Test at the Oval.
Is unknown quantity Archer actually in England's best team?
Quite aside from whether Archer is truly ready for the rigours of a five-day Test match on the back of a single bowling innings in the Championship, England must assess whether he is really in their best XI to play at Edgbaston.
When fully road-tested, Archer is surely in England's best attack. In the summer of 2019, he was a magnificent weapon, capable of bowling with swing and seam with the newer ball, or menacing bounce with the old ball. If he gets anywhere near that level again, he will be a very welcome addition to England's arsenal. He has shown signs of his best in white-ball cricket over the last 13 months, but it is in the longest format that he can be most dangerous.
#OnThisDay 2019 | Jofra Archer's maiden Test five-for 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4caWkuILJn
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) August 22, 2022
He returns a bit of an unknown, though. And while England's attack at Headingley conceded more than 800 runs and at times looked toothless on a flat pitch, every member of the pace trio deserves another crack at Edgbaston.
Chris Woakes is always better for the gallop and, at 36, grew into the game. He has still not lost a Test under Ben Stokes's captaincy, and Edgbaston is his home ground. Brydon Carse looks England's best paceman right now and, like Archer at his best, can threaten with the new and old ball. And while Josh Tongue made a slow start at Headingley, he finished with a bang. He picked up just one top-six wicket – the vital scalp of Rishabh Pant – but mopped up the tail with ease in both innings, which was a decisive factor in England's victory. England have had so many problems bowling to the tail over the years that Tongue's arrival is most welcome.
Still, Tongue seems the likeliest to drop out. Perhaps England will feel another 'kiss the pitch' bowler is required at Edgbaston, rather than a second 'bang it in' quick. If that is the case, Archer will get the nod.