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Photograph: (Source: The Telegraph)
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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that fast bowler Jofra Archer has been added to England's squad for the second Test match against India, which begins at Edgbaston on July 2. For the first time since the 2021 tour of India, the 30-year-old rejoins England's Test squad after a protracted hiatus brought on by a recurrent elbow injury and a back stress fracture.
Archer recently played for Sussex against Durham in a County Championship match, marking his first appearance in red-ball cricket since May 2021. Alongside first Test seamers Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue, he joins a pace unit that also features Jamie Overton and Sam Cook. Archer, who has claimed 42 wickets in 13 Test matches, played in the County Championship with Sussex on Sunday for the first time in four years. His most recent England match was a one-day international versus South Africa at the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan in March.
Jofra Archer gets candid:
ESPNcricinfo quotes Archer saying, "It felt alright today. 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."
Jofra Archer is back! pic.twitter.com/ij7XWJhZVV
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) June 26, 2025
Archer, 30, missed a significant amount of time because of a back stress fracture after suffering a recurrent elbow ailment. He consequently played in just seven limited-overs international matches from March 2021 to May 2024. He has subsequently resumed playing white-ball cricket regularly, though, and recently made his much-anticipated comeback to first-class cricket at Chester-le-Street. In a match that ended in a draw, he bowled 18 overs for Sussex against Durham, taking one wicket for 32 runs. The pacer's addition is the sole alteration to the England team, which defeated India by an exciting five wickets at Headingley on Tuesday to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
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