London [UK], July 8: Former England fast bowler James Anderson has urged the Three Lions to include Jofra Archer in the playing XI for the crucial third Test against India, scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 10, at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Archer, who hasn’t featured in a Test match in over four years due to recurring injuries, recently made a red-ball return for Sussex at the domestic level and joined the England squad ahead of the second Test in Birmingham.
England suffered a crushing 336-run defeat in that Edgbaston clash, leveling the five-match ICC World Test Championship series at 1-1. Anderson believes the third Test is too pivotal to leave out a fully fit Archer.
“You could keep trying to build his overs up and play him later in the series, but it could be too late by then,” Anderson told the ICC. “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.”
England head coach Brendon McCullum echoed the excitement around Archer’s potential return but stopped short of confirming his selection.
“Jofra is looking fit, strong, and ready to go. He’s buzzing. He’s obviously been through injuries and time out of Test cricket. We all know what he’s capable of, and we hope he can recapture and improve on that,” McCullum said.
Alongside Archer, England are also considering pacer Gus Atkinson and batter Jacob Bethell for possible inclusion. Atkinson is returning from a hamstring injury suffered during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, while Bethell offers additional batting depth and spin support, having played three Tests so far.
McCullum clarified that Bethell is being viewed more as a batting backup than a tactical spin option.
“He’s the next one in if something happens. He wants to improve his bowling, but we’re not looking at him as a tactical replacement for [first-choice spinner] Shoaib Bashir,” the coach said.
England squad for 3rd Test vs India:
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.