Birmingham [UK], July 7 (ANI): After England’s heavy 336-run defeat to India, captain Ben Stokes hinted at the possibility of Jofra Archer returning to the Test XI for the second match at Lord’s, but stressed that the decision will depend on how players recover ahead of the game.
“Again, it will be a decision that we have to make seeing how everyone pulls up. We’ve had him here this week to get around the group and build him up with his workloads and everything like that. So everyone’s in consideration for the game at Lord’s,” said Stokes at the post-match press conference.
The 30-year-old speedster recently made his long-awaited return to red-ball cricket after more than four years, representing Sussex in a County Championship match against Durham at Chester-le-Street. He bowled a tidy spell, returning figures of 1/32 from 18 overs, and also contributed 31 runs with the bat, showing signs of form and fitness as the match ended in a draw.
Archer last played a Test match in February 2021, and has since battled multiple injuries. While he made a return to England’s white-ball setup ahead of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and has featured in ODIs and T20Is, his red-ball workload has been carefully managed.
Archer’s pace and aggression could be a valuable asset at Lord’s, but Stokes and the management remain cautious.
Archer’s availability will be closely monitored over the next few days, as England seek the right combination to square the series.
Coming to the match, England once again opted to field first. After getting KL Rahul (2) early, a 80-run stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal (87 in 107 balls, with 13 fours) and Karun Nair (31 in 50 balls, with five fours) helped India gain some footing in the match. Skipper Shubman Gill had valuable partnerships of 203 runs with Ravindra Jadeja (89 in 137 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and a 144-run stand against Washington Sundar (42 in 103 balls, with three fours and a six), helping India towards 587, scoring 269 in 387 balls himself, with 30 fours and three sixes.
Shoaib Bashir (3/167) was the pick of the bowlers for England, while Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue also managed two each.
In England’s first innings, India had them on the ropes with 84/5. However, a 303-run stand between Harry Brook (158 in 234 balls, with 17 fours and a six) and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith (184* in 207 balls, with 21 fours and four sixes) sent India on an endless hunt for leather and answers. However, Siraj (6/70) and Akash Deep (4/88) got something out of the new ball and tumbled down the last five wickets for 20 runs, bundling them down for 407 runs, gaining a 180-run lead.
India’s response was a swift half-century partnership between Jaiswal (28 in 22 balls, with six fours) and KL Rahul, who also continued his good run with a 10-boundary-filled 55 in 84 balls. A 110-run stand for the fourth wicket between Rishabh Pant (65 in 58 balls, with eight fours and three sixes) and Gill upped the attack, while Gill managed yet another epic 175-run stand with Jadeja, scoring 161 in 162 balls, with 13 fours and eight sixes. Jadeja scored an unbeaten 69* in 118 balls, with five fours and a six. India declared at 427/6, leading by 607 runs and setting England a monstrous 608 runs to win.
During the run-chase, England was restricted to 50/3. Jamie Smith (88 in 99, with nine fours and four sixes) was the only glimmer of hope for England as they were skittled out for just 271 runs, losing by 336 runs, thanks to a brilliant spell from Akash Deep (6/99), who ended up taking a ten-fer. (ANI)
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