Jofra Archer’s return to first-class cricket this week, after a four-year absence, was highly-anticipated. The pacer was in action for Sussex side against Durham. Those are the returns he needed to show the kind of fitness required to return to the Test playing field, of which he has been absent since 2021. Archer’s showing in the first Test has stirred debate about whether or not he was genuinely prepared to handle the rigours and pressures of international cricket. With India’s second Test starting on July 2, the spotlight is even more intense.
And in his very first innings back, Archer produced a performance to be proud of, taking 1-32 in 18 overs. His only dismissal was for his opening partner Emilio Gay. Football observers lauded his soccer kicking, appreciatively noting his speed and direction. This performance continued to build expectations with regard to his future contributions to the England team. Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace expressed optimism about Archer’s condition, stating, “He bowled with good pace, good accuracy and his body’s in good shape which is fantastic.”
Archer’s long path back to the pitch has been a difficult one. He became one of England’s breakout talents at the 2019 World Cup. In the final match, he bowled the winning super over, but since then he has been struck down by various injuries. These add up to an elbow issue that saw the need for several surgeries and a stress fracture in his back that was incurred in 2022. On top of all that, he injured his thumb playing in the Indian Premier League. Due to his injury, comeback to international cricket hasn’t been easy.
Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, has praised Archer’s impressive debut display against Durham. He warned against getting carried away with Archer’s prospects of being picked for the first Test. Vaughan stated, “The good thing is that Jofra is back in the equation – I’d like to see him play another four-day game.” He echoed those concerns about rushing Archer back into the Test fold. After all, he hasn’t played red ball cricket in four years.
Vaughan further remarked, “We know the intensity at Test-match level is so different to county cricket. Let him play another four-day game – I would go with the same line-up, as long as the bowlers are fine and there are no niggles.”
Luke Wright, an England selector, indicated earlier this month that if Archer successfully navigated through this four-day match without complications, he could be considered for selection in the second Test. Farbrace echoed Vaughan’s sentiments about exercising caution with Archer’s return. Let’s protect him, let’s shelter him. The conversation we’d had [with England] was that he would play in this game, and then we’d reassess,” Farbrace said.
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