ENG vs IND 2025: Jofra Archer added to England squad for Edgbaston Test
"Now it's a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game [will be tough]," said Archer.
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Jofra Archer could make his long-awaited return to Test cricket after four years, having been added to England’s squad for the second Test against India at Edgbaston next week. England named Archer in the squad after taking a 1-0 lead in the series with a five-wicket victory at Headingley. The second Test is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, June 2.
Archer recently made his return to red-ball cricket for the first time since May 2021, playing for Sussex in a County Championship match against Durham. He joins a pace unit that includes Jamie Overton, Sam Cook, and first Test seamers Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue.
"It felt alright today. I've been playing for a year, and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine,” Archer was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
"Now it's a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game [will be tough]. Over the next couple of days, I'm going to have to battle a bit with it, but it's all good. It's a new challenge, and I'll keep trucking along," he added.
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The 30-year-old Archer was sidelined for a long-period due to a recurring elbow injury followed by a back stress fracture. As a result, he featured in only seven limited-overs internationals between March 2021 and May 2024.
However, he has since returned to regular white-ball cricket and recently made his long-awaited return to first-class cricket at Chester-le-Street. He was playing for Sussex against Durham, and bowled 18 overs and picked up 1 wicket for 32 runs in a drawn match.
Tongue was England’s standout performer in the opening Test at Leeds, finishing with match figures of 7 for 158. Ben Stokes contributed with five wickets, while Carse claimed four. Woakes, despite a below-par outing with figures of 1 for 148, may find his rhythm as the series progresses.
England’s squad against India for second Test:
Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
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