Brendon McCullum reveals latest on Jofra Archer ahead of second Test

LONDON: England are optimistic that fast bowler Jofra Archer will be available for the second Test against New Zealand later this month, although head coach Brendon McCullum has stressed that a return to the squad does not automatically guarantee a place in the starting XI.

Archer was ruled out of the first Test at Lord's due to the short turnaround following his Indian Premier League commitments with Rajasthan Royals. The pace star has since been managing his workload in Barbados as he works towards a possible return for the second and third matches of the series.

Following England's victory at Lord's, McCullum revealed that a final decision on Archer's availability is expected within the next few days.

"We're hopeful he will be available for the second Test; then we'll work out conditions-wise where we're at," McCullum said. "He's following a plan. We completely trust Jof. He's shown us in the past what he does, which is get himself ready based on the plans we get together and come up with. He's always turned up in the condition we wanted from him."

However, McCullum suggested that Archer's inclusion is far from certain, with England keen to select bowlers best suited to the conditions at The Oval.

England's seam attack impressed during the first Test, with Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue sharing 19 wickets in a convincing low-scoring victory. McCullum also praised the performances of squad members Sonny Baker and Matthew Fisher, who were not selected for the match.

"Sonny Baker was close, as well," he said. "We thought if air-speed was going to be important and the pitch was going to be flat, he would be a viable option. Fish [Fisher] has been bowling beautifully, then you've got Jofra and Brydon Carse [who has not played since breaking his hand at the IPL in March].

"Then you've got a multitude of players who are developing through the county system and through the Lions who are on our radar. There is some exciting talent: [Henry] Crocombe, Nav Sharma, Eddie Jack. These guys are all in the system and identified.

Archer has claimed 18 wickets at an average of 27.88 in five Tests since returning against India last summer, including a five-wicket haul against Australia in Adelaide in December. Yet he has not played a red-ball fixture since, and England remain focused on building depth rather than relying on one player.

"We need a huge array of fast bowlers [to pick from] based on the conditions you feel you're going to be confronted with," McCullum said. "You're not always going to get it right, but you're trying to pick horses for courses, based on conditions, to give yourself the best chance of winning."

England captain Ben Stokes bowled just seven overs at Lord's, while spinner Shoaib Bashir was not required on a surface that heavily favoured seam bowling.

Robinson was named Player of the Match after taking career-best figures of 7/77 on his Test comeback. Both Stokes and McCullum praised the seamer's performance but challenged him to maintain those standards throughout the remainder of the series.

"The pleasing thing for me as captain… is the way that he's spoken about this week," Stokes said. "It would be very easy to rest on your laurels when everything's gone so well for him, but the language he's used around this being just the start, there's a lot more hard work to put in [is great]. The more Ollie Robinson has an England shirt on his back, the better it is for us."

"He will definitely be challenged [more] in different conditions. The good thing was, on this surface, air-speed wasn't overly important; it was the ability to be relentless on the line and length, which is such a natural thing for Robbo."