Jofra Archer has officially been named in England’s squad for the second Test against India to be held at Edgbaston on July 2. The Ben Stokes-led side will be in a predicament over whether they should consider the pacer Jofra Archer to start in the upcoming fixture, considering he has just come out of a rough patch due to injuries. The pacer Jofra Archer makes his return to the Test team, and if picked to start, will play his first Test since February 2021 when he played against India at Ahmedabad.
Jofra Archer made his return to Sussex to play County cricket for the first time in four years earlier this week. Jofra Archer took part in the recently concluded match against Durham which ended in a draw. He had bowled in the first innings where he had 18 overs under his belt which had 18 maidens and gave away just 32 runs while taking one wicket.
Jofra Archer topsy turvy career in international career
One of the biggest assets for England is the return of Jofra Archer. The 29-year-old’s career until now has been plagued by injuries; he made his return to the T20 World Cup after overcoming an elbow injury that kept him out for almost a year. In his return for the Three Lions, Jofra Archer took ten scalps across eight matches. However, despite his return, he is missing out on the series as England management has decided to stick with their cautious and steady approach to introducing him back into the red-ball set-up.
Jofra Archer starred for England at the recent T20 World Cup, picking up ten wickets at an average of 19 as Jos Buttler’s side were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners India. However, England have said he will not make his Test return until 2025. England Test captain Ben Stokes has stated Jofra Archer’s unbridled desire to wear the white jersey again for the national team.
England Test captain Ben Stokes has stated Jofra Archer’s unbridled desire to wear the white jersey again for the national team. However, he understands the need not to risk the pacer at this stage. Jofra Archer had a sensational debut Test series, taking 22 scalps in four matches during the 2019 Ashes. However, the right-arm speedster hasn’t played in the format since 2021 and returned to international cricket this year after a lengthy hiatus due to injuries.
Jofra Archer bowled in 12 matches of the IPL 2025, picking up 11 wickets. The speedster bowled some exceptional spells in the powerplay, wrecking the top orders. Jofra Archer made his comeback to red-ball cricket after more than four years on Sunday (June 22), and on Monday, he picked up 1 wicket for 28 runs in 14 overs for Sussex against Durham in the County Championship Division One match taking place at Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street.
Jofra Archer’s stint with Sussex on his return to red ball
England speedster Jofra Archer has made his comeback to red-ball cricket after four years of injury layoff in the County Championship game between Sussex and Durham and is very likely to play England’s second Test against India at Edgbaston, Birmingham, starting July 2. But upon his return to competitive cricket, he has found himself under fire for a possible breach of discipline. The 30-year-old is likely to be fined by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for wearing the wrong colour socks during his County Championship match.
Jofra Archer bowled 18 overs, picked up a wicket and conceded 32 runs on day two at Chester-le-Street. Archer also scored 31 lower down the order in Sussex’s first innings. However, despite his rather impressive outing, his socks could land him in trouble with the ECB. That is because the County Championship’s rule mandates that “socks must be of white or light grey colour only,” but Archer wore black ones instead. Jofra Archer’s gaffe could result in a fine or a reprimand from the ECB.
However, regardless of the punishment Jofra Archer receives from the ECB, England will be optimistic of getting the speedster on board at Edgbaston, especially after India piled up 835 in two innings at Headingley, with four batters hitting tons, including two by Rishabh Pant.
Jofra Archer’s Test record vs India
Jofra Archer last played for England in 2021 against India at Ahmedabad, while his last Test in England came at Southampton against Pakistan in 2020. The Barbados-born fast bowler has so far played 13 Tests and picked up 42 wickets and is confident that his body is ready for longer format of cricket.
The pacer has taken part in eight Test matches on home soil where he has taken 30 wickets at an average of 26.86 and an economy of 2.86 runs per over. Even if Jofra Archer does not seem to be the one taking the wickets, the economical bowling can be a big asset in the longest format. In fact, this was even missing in the Indian bowling attack which resulted in their defeat at Headingley.
The fast-bowler has taken part in two matches against India, both being away from home. It is fair to say he did not have much luck there, considering he had four wickets across both games and ended up conceding a total of 122 runs in the 35 overs bowled. But his luck could be better considering the English conditions were more suited for the faster bowlers.
Another thing to consider is his ability to contribute some quick runs with the bat. While he may not be the ideal lower-order batter to have, he certainly has the power to clear the boundary ropes at will, as seen in various instances across international and franchise cricket. However former Indian commentator Aakash Chopra has expressed his view on the inclusion of Jofra Archer in the English squad.
Aakash Chopra expresses his views on Jofra Archer’s return to test squad
Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that while Jofra Archer has returned to the England squad for the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah is reportedly unavailable for that game. However, he opined that the England seamer’s return is a double-edged sword.
England beat India by five wickets in the first Test in Leeds on Tuesday, June 24. Archer, who missed the series opener, is part of the hosts’ 15-member squad for the second Test starting in Birmingham on July 2.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India opener highlighted the two sides’ seemingly contrasting fortunes heading into the second Test, but reckoned that Archer’s return need not necessarily be a positive for England.
“Jofra Archer has become a part of the England team, which means our guy is not getting available, and the other team’s guy has returned. He (Archer) will play Test matches after a very long time. Let’s be fair, until he does well, he is good, but there is a problem with Jofra,” he said.
Chopra pointed out that Archer has all the attributes to be a game-changing bowler.
“Why is Jofra good? Jofra has pace and the ability to swing the ball and get extra bounce. So Jofra can be a game-changer. Since he is quick in the air, he will help you if the ball is reversing as well. He can bowl a spell with extra bounce and pace, and a little sideways movement. He has the ability to turn the game on its head,” he elaborated.
Jofra Archer has picked up 42 wickets at an average of 31.04 in 13 Tests. He has accounted for four dismissals at an average of 30.50 in two Tests against India.
In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Jofra Archer loses confidence very quickly when things aren’t going his way.
“The second side of Jofra Archer’s Test story is the fact that his shoulders droop very quickly. If two spells don’t go good, he is getting hit, and the pitch is flat, then Jofra is gone missing completely. Then you don’t even feel Jofra is playing the match. Then he just bowls for the sake of it. We have seen that many times,” he said.
While highlighting that Archer’s return is a mixed bag for England, the cricketer-turned-commentator expressed unhappiness over Jasprit Bumrah’s potential absence.
“If his tail is up, he is unplayable. He can bowl a spell that can change the match, but he can also get deflated. We have also seen him like a balloon pricked with a pin. So Jofra is a mixed bag, but our Bumrah won’t be available, and their Jofra has become available. What’s happening? I am not happy about it,” Chopra observed.
Jofra Archer’s last Test match was against India in Ahmedabad in February 2021. He has been bothered by multiple injuries over the last few years and picked up a solitary wicket in the only first-class game he has played since his return to England from IPL 2025.But one of the biggest drawbacks to his inclusion for the second Test will be whether Ben Stokes will be caught up in trying to manage his workload and his own.
This could prove to be detrimental to the side, and it would be ideal if the management were given the go-ahead to use him freely. However, that is never the case when it comes to fast bowlers, considering how demanding it can be physically. Nonetheless, it will be a big call taken, and the management will hope that the pacer can find his rhythm and maintain his fitness for an extended period.
Jofra Archer feels he is ready to make a return to Test cricket and could take the field for England in the second Test against India, which is set to take place at Edgbaston in Birmingham from July 2 to 6.
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