James Anderson, former England seamer, has suggested that England should include Jofra Archer in their lineup for the third Test against India at Lord’s, scheduled for Thursday, July 10.Archer, who has been absent from Test cricket for over four years, recently made his return to red-ball cricket with Sussex before joining the England squad for the second Test in Birmingham.
England suffered a significant defeat against India, losing by 336 runs at Edgbaston. This result has left the ICC World Test Championship series balanced at 1-1.
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Should Jofra Archer be included in the England squad for the third Test against India?
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“You could keep trying to build his overs up and play him later in the series, but it could be too late by then. I think he will play. He played one game for Sussex; he was around the team at Edgbaston and bowled a bit. I just feel like you’ve got to play him. It’s too crucial a game not to,” said Anderson, as quoted by the ICC.England’s head coach Brendon McCullum, while not confirming Archer’s return, indicated that the fast bowler is ready for selection.“Jofra is looking fit, he’s looking strong, he’s looking ready to go, and he’ll come into calculations. It’s hugely exciting. He’s buzzing as well. He’s obviously been through his injuries and his time out of Test cricket,” he added. “We all know what he’s capable of achieving in Test cricket and we hope that when the opportunity does arrive for him, he’s able to recapture and also improve on what he’s been able to do already in that form of the game.”
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Should Jofra Archer be included in the England squad for the third Test against India?
England are also considering other changes to their team for the Lord’s Test. Fast bowler Gus Atkinson and batter Jacob Bethell are being considered for selection.Bethell has played three Tests, with his last appearance against New Zealand in late 2023. Atkinson has been sidelined since injuring his hamstring during the Zimbabwe Test in Nottingham in May.While Bethell could provide additional spin bowling options, McCullum clarified that he won’t replace their primary spinner, Shoaib Bashir, saying, “He’s a batting option. He’s the next one in if something happens. He wants to keep improving his bowling so that he can obviously impact the game across both bat and ball. It’s not something we’d look at from a tactical point of view to do.”England squad for third Test: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, 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.
