The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has named Jofra Archer in the 14-member squad for the second Test against India, set to begin on Wednesday, 2 July, at Edgbaston.
This marks Archer’s return to the England Test setup for the first time since February 2021, when he last played against India in Ahmedabad. A string of injuries has since kept the pacer out of red-ball action. Now fit again, Archer will look to add to his 13 Test appearances. So far, he has claimed 42 wickets at an average of 31.04, including his standout 6/45 against Australia in the 2019 Ashes at Headingley.
Archer proved his match fitness by returning to first-class cricket for Sussex in their County Championship fixture against Durham on Sunday. He impressed with his rhythm and pace, collecting a wicket and contributing 31 runs with the bat—performances that convinced the selectors he was ready for a Test return.
Meanwhile, Gus Atkinson continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained during England’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge earlier in the summer and remains unavailable.
England, under Ben Stokes’ captaincy, lead the five-match series 1-0 following a dramatic five-wicket victory in the first Test in Leeds.
England squad for 2nd Test vs India: Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes
For More Sports Related News: Follow RevSportz