Jofra Archer Set for Test Comeback After 4 Years

England fans finally have something to cheer — Jofra Archer is back. After 1596 long days and a rollercoaster of injuries, Archer has been named in England’s playing XI for the third Test against India at Lord’s, marking his first appearance in red-ball cricket since February 2021. Fittingly, his last Test was also against India.

Archer replaces Josh Tongue, who despite being England’s top wicket-taker in the series so far with 11 scalps, has been left out for this one. It’s the only change to the home team’s XI from the second Test at Edgbaston, which India won convincingly. 

The road back has been far from smooth for Archer. After a series of setbacks, including a stress fracture in his back, the 30-year-old slowly began working his way back into action. His return to first-class cricket came during the recent County Championship clash between Sussex and Durham. Before that, he’d made his white-ball comeback for England in May last year, but red-ball cricket remained elusive — until now. 

Captain Ben Stokes is understandably thrilled to have Archer back in the mix. And he’s not planning to hold him back either. “That’ll be a call made in the moment, as it is with anyone. If someone’s looking dangerous, you might give them an extra over or two. But there are no set plans or restrictions — certainly not limiting him to four- or five-over spells. We’ll see how it plays out on the day,” Stokes said ahead of the match. For Archer, Lord’s is more than just another venue. It’s where he delivered the famous super over that sealed England’s 2019 World Cup win. And it’s where he left everyone stunned with a ferocious Test debut against Australia that same summer. The return now feels poetic. 

Gus Atkinson, who was added to the squad after England’s defeat at Edgbaston, won’t feature in this match. He’s still building up fitness and is expected to be in contention for the final two Tests of the series. Atkinson’s last outing in an England shirt was during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May. Despite calls for changes, England have stuck with under-fire players like Zak Crawley and Chris Woakes. The pressure is on, and with the series level at 1-1, the Lord’s Test could be pivotal — and Archer’s comeback might just tilt the scales. 

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