England fast bowler Jofra Archer marked his return to test cricket after 4.5 years with a match-winning performance against India at Lord’s on Monday, taking five wickets to help secure a 22-run victory and 2-1 series lead. The performance came exactly six years after Archer helped England win their first Cricket World Cup at the same venue.Archer made an immediate impact on the final day, removing Rishabh Pant’s off stump and taking a one-handed caught-and-bowled to dismiss Washington Sundar early in the morning session.Working with captain Ben Stokes, Archer helped reduce India from their overnight score of 58-4 to 82-7 in the first 40 minutes. India, chasing 193, was eventually bowled out for 170.“Yeah, part of the reason I went with Jof this morning … six years ago now to the day,” said Stokes. “He played a major role, and I had a feeling he’d do something special and crack the game open.”Archer consistently troubled the Indian batsmen with speeds reaching 90 mph (145 kph), though Stokes managed his workload carefully with five-over spells spaced well apart.“I had a gut feeling that Jof’s going to do something in his first game back,” Stokes said. “Every time he’s announced on the tannoy, the ground erupts, and when the speeds go up on the screen, the feeling changes.”The careful management of his bowling spells frustrated Archer, but he understood the precaution given his history of elbow and back injuries.“It was pretty hectic, for the first game back,” Archer told Sky Sports. “I probably bowled a few more overs than I thought I would’ve but every single one mattered today so I’m not too fussed about it. Only played one test at Lord’s and that one was just as special as this one. It’s been a long time coming, a lot of rehab, a lot of training. But moments like this make it worth it.”Archer remained confident about his return to test cricket despite his last test being in February 2021 in Ahmedabad and his previous home test in August 2020.“I’m not totally out of the woods yet but it’s a good start,” he said. “The style of cricket that this team plays, it means I’m going to bowl a lot of overs!”
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The match was marked by verbal exchanges, particularly after Archer dismissed Pant and Sundar.“We came together as a group yesterday and said, you know, sometimes we’re too nice. We go to other places and some teams are not as nice to us as we are to them so I guess we just tried to shift it. I don’t know if it gave us a bit more of a buzz in the field or not but we will keep it in the bank for the future!”Regarding his exchange with Pant, Archer said: “It wasn’t a proud moment. I just told him to cherish that moment. He came down the track and that annoyed me a little bit so when the ball nipped down the slope, I was so grateful.”“Managing the workload is still very hard, being told you can bowl some days and not others,” Archer added about his ongoing recovery process.
