Srinagar: Hosts England have named speedster Jofra Archer in the squad for the second Test of the five-match series vs India, scheduled to be played at Edgbaston from 2 July.
This decision comes after England’s five-wicket victory against India in the first Test at Headingley earlier this week.
Archer, who has been out of the Test team since the 2021 tour of India, recently made his return to red-ball cricket, playing for Sussex against Durham in the last round of the County Championship.
After the 2021 tour of India, he faced an elbow issue and later suffered a stress fracture in his back, resulting in him playing only seven limited-overs internationals between March 2021 and May 2024.
“It felt all right today,” Archer said after his return to red-ball cricket. “I’ve been playing for a year, and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine.”
“Now it’s a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game [will be tough].
“Over the next couple of days, I’m going to have to battle a bit with it, but it’s all good. It’s a new challenge, and I’ll keep trucking along.”
England squad for the second Test against India
Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, 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
