'Archer vs India's batters will be exciting contest,' says former Indian cricketer
Archer is set to play his first Test at Lord's since a four-year hiatus from Test cricket due to injuries
Former Indian cricketer Varun Aaron on Wednesday shared the potential battle between England fast bowler Jofra Archer and the Indian batting lineup as one of the key contests to watch in the third Test here at Lord's cricket ground.
Speaking to Indian media ahead of the third Test, he noted that the England pacer can trouble both Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul.
"The Archer vs India contest is what I will look at, because Archer has that ability to straighten the ball from off-stump to a left-hander. Jaiswal has been key for India, especially at the start," Aaron said.
He also pointed out Archer’s impressive record against Shubman Gill and said he can create problems for the Indian batting lineup.
"He can also expose if there are any problems with KL Rahul, with the ball coming back in, because we saw what Woakes did, attacking the stumps a lot. Then if we get Gill in early, again he has great numbers vs Gill," he added.
Aaron also opined that the battle between Bumrah, Siraj and Deep against England's top order could be another exciting contest.
"Bumrah, Siraj and Akash Deep vs the top order of the England batting unit, because Siraj and Akash Deep have gotten 17 wickets between them in the second Test, a lot of wickets with the new ball, and, at the end of the day.
"If you get wickets with the new ball and get your team off to a good start at Lord's, you are mostly commanding the whole Test," he concluded.
He further highlighted Gill’s struggles against Archer in particular, noting that Gill has managed just 18 runs at an average of 9.00 against Archer in Tests.
It is pertinent to mention that the third Test of the five-match series between India and England will be played at Lord’s, starting on Thursday.
Comments