Archer added to England squad for second Test against India

England have added Jofra Archer to their squad for the second Test against India next week.

Sussex fast bowler Archer returns to the England Test set-up for the first time since February 2021 in the only addition to the 14-player squad selected for the first Test at Headingley.

England lead the five-Test series 1-0 after chasing 371 to win the first Test at Headingley by five wickets, with the second Test starting on Wednesday at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports from 10am (first ball 11am).

Archer only returned to first-class action in the County Championship on Sunday for the first time in more than four years when he played for Sussex against Durham, taking one wicket and scoring 31.

He has not made a Test appearance since England’s 10-wicket defeat by India in Ahmedabad in February 2021 having been plagued by a series of long-term injuries.

Since his eye-catching debut against Australia in the Ashes Test at Lord’s in August 2019, he has taken 42 wickets at an average of 31.04, including career-best figures of 6-45 in his second Test appearance against Australia at Headingley in England’s famous Ben Stokes-inspired one-wicket victory.

‘Jofra one of the world’s best’

Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace backed Archer as “one of the best in the world” though warned England needed to be careful with his return to fitness and form.

“Whether it’s England, India, Australia, New Zealand, you want the best players in the world to be playing, and Jofra is one of the best players in world cricket,” Farbrace said.

“He’s been unbelievably unlucky with injuries over the last few years, but the one thing that I can’t praise him enough for is what he helps us with at Sussex.

“Even when he’s not playing, he’s brilliant around our team. He’s great around our lads, he shares his experience. He’s a very upbeat character, and we all just want to see him back on the field.”

But Farbrace added: “He just loves playing the game, he loves bowling and England will be a better team to have Jofra Archer available to play in the rest of this series and hopefully the Ashes in the winter. That will give England a much better chance of winning but equally we’ve got to be careful and everyone’s got to be careful with him.

“But there were no restrictions; he was able to bowl whatever he wanted.

“He bowled 18 overs in the first innings, came through it well, and seems to be in good form since.”

Vaughan: I don’t understand the rush

Former England captain Michael Vaughan previously advised against bringing Archer straight back at this level.

He told Sky Sports News: “I wouldn’t be rushing Jofra Archer. He hasn’t played four-day cricket for four years. He’s played one game for Sussex at Durham. He bowled in one innings. They have another game starting on Sunday. I personally would just let him play one more County Championship round and then bring him in potentially for the Test match at the home of cricket (Lord’s).

“I don’t understand the rush. When you’ve had four years of not playing the longer format I just can’t see how one outing in County cricket can be justification.”

England’s left-arm pacer and former Sussex team-mate Reece Topley said Archer has a “strange knack” for taking wickets.

“If anyone can do it, it’s Jofra,” Topley told Sky Sports News.

“He’s got this strange knack that I think everyone wishes they had, where he’s just got talent in abundance and can almost roll out of bed, bowl fast and shape it in the air, different ways.

“It’s good to see him back bowling. I know that Test cricket is still big on his ambition list, so it’ll be nice to see him out there in the whites.”

A first-hand chance to see Archer’s progress

Sky Sports’ Adam Williams:

While Jofra Archer has been added to the original 14-player squad for the first Test at Headingley, his inclusion doesn’t necessarily point to an immediate return to the side that will take the field at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

This could be more of a collective decision from England’s management of director of men’s cricket Rob Key, head coach Brendon McCullum, selector Luke Wright and captain Ben Stokes to get Archer back ‘in and around the group’ as the sporting cliché goes.

There will be no substitute for seeing how he is shaping up with their own eyes and how his body is feeling after his first red ball fixture in more than four years saw him complete 18 overs across three spells for county Sussex against Durham, taking 1-32.

One thing for sure is we’ll likely know some way out from the first ball at Edgbaston if he is selected to make his first Test appearance since February 2021 such is England’s trend for naming their side early, normally two days out from the start.

What may happen is England get the right-arm quick into the nets and into training for a couple of days before potentially releasing him and Jacob Bethell to face each other in the County Championship at Hove as Sussex play Warwickshire, starting on Sunday.

That would give Archer the chance to get more overs in his legs, more time out in the field getting used to the rigours of first-class cricket and more chances to see how his body recovers and feels coming back on day two, three or four of a first-class match.

If he comes through that unscathed, he will almost definitely play a part in this five-Test series against India but pace trio Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue more than merit being given the chance to keep their places after England’s impressive win at Headingley.