Courtesy: ECB
Jofra Archer, the England fast bowler, is in line to get picked in the squad for the second Test of the five-match series against India, which will start on July 2 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. As per the statement from the England national selector, Luke Wright, if the 30-year-old is able to prove his fitness in a first-class match for Sussex against Durham in Chester-le-Street, beginning on June 22, then he will be drafted into the Test squad.
Notably, the last first-class match in the career of Jofra Archer happened way back in May, 2021, when Sussex played Kent, and since then he has battled multiple injuries at different times, including an elbow fracture recurrence and stress fracture of the back. Prior to that, the England pacer last played for the national team in a Test match in February, 2021, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad against the Indian cricket team.
Jofra Archer was slated to play for England Lions in the second unofficial Test vs India A
As per the report published in ESPNcricinfo, Jofra Archer was slated to play for England Lions in the second unofficial Test of the two-match series against India A at the County Ground in Northampton on Friday, June 6. But the plan was shelved after he got sidelined due to the thumb ligament damage during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign for Rajasthan Royals last month in India.
In his recent statement, Luke Wright addressed the Jofra Archer fitness situation and remarked, “Jof's also trucking along really well actually. The plan is for him to play a few second-team games, loading up in the second team for Sussex. And then the idea for him is to play for Sussex against Durham during the first Test [June 22-25]. Then if all things go well, fingers crossed, he should be available for the second Test.”
The stats in Test cricket for Jofra Archer are quite decent, taking 42 wickets at an average of 31.04 in 13 matches, including two five-wicket hauls in the Ashes 2019 against Australia.
