Jofra Archer returns as England announce playing XI for third India Test

LONDON: England pacer Jofra Archer is set to make a long-awaited return to Test cricket as he has been named in England’s playing XI for the third Test against India, starting Thursday at Lord’s. 

This marks Archer’s first appearance in the format in over four and a half years.

Archer last played a Test match in February 2021, with a series of elbow and back injuries restricting him to white-ball cricket in the interim. 

However, he made a successful return to first-class action last month, bowling 18 overs for Sussex, paving the way for his inclusion in the Test squad.

The 29-year-old's comeback is reminiscent of his debut at the same venue in 2019, which came after England's struggle to contain Australia’s Steve Smith.

On that occasion, Archer made headlines by troubling Smith with sheer pace, including a bouncer that struck him on the helmet. This time, he returns with the aim of halting Shubman Gill’s red-hot form, following his match-winning 430-run effort in Birmingham.

Archer replaces Josh Tongue in the XI—the only change from the side that suffered a 336-run defeat in the second Test. 

Despite being the leading wicket-taker of the series with 11 scalps, Tongue has been expensive, conceding 4.56 runs per over and carrying a heavy workload.

Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes retain their places despite having bowled 77 and 81 overs respectively in the first two matches. 

Carse, who appeared to struggle with a toe injury at Edgbaston and didn't bowl after the 27th over in India’s second innings, has kept his spot. Captain Ben Stokes clarified that the discomfort was due to his shoes and not a physical issue.

Gus Atkinson, still recovering from a hamstring injury sustained against Zimbabwe in May, was not considered for selection. He is expected to return for Surrey in the T20 Blast and is targeting a potential comeback in the fourth Test in Manchester, starting July 23.

England have been cautious in managing Archer’s workload. He was unavailable for the series opener due to a thumb injury sustained during the IPL, and was rested for the second Test to allow more training time with the squad. 

Under the watchful eyes of the coaching staff, he bowled extensively on practice pitches during the Edgbaston Test and was declared "ready to go" by head coach Brendon McCullum.

Archer has previously taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 31.04, including 20 at 20.27 during the 2019 Ashes. However, concerns over his workload management arose under Joe Root's captaincy, particularly after he was made to bowl 42 overs in a single innings on a flat Mount Maunganui surface.

While England are hoping for a lively surface at Lord’s, recent history suggests the pitch may slow down and become better for batting as the game progresses.

Meanwhile, fellow pacer Mark Wood also trained with the squad at Lord’s on Wednesday as he eyes a return from a knee injury. While his return in this series remains uncertain, England are optimistic about pairing him with Archer for the upcoming Ashes in Australia later this year.

England XI for third Test vs India:

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir.