‘If all goes well' Jofra Archer could make England Test return against India

Independent

2 days ago

England paceman Jofra Archer could make his Test return as soon as next month's second match against India, while the door has been kept ajar for Jacob Bethell to force his way into the series opener.
A 14-man squad will travel to Headingley for the first Test, with Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton and Bethell all returning after missing the season's curtain-raiser against Zimbabwe last month.
Archer was not considered for duty due to a broken thumb, the latest in a long sequence of fitness issues that have seen him exiled from the longer format for more than four years.
But the eagerness to see the X-factor quick back in whites remains undiminished, particularly with an Ashes winter coming up.
A potential route that sees him back in time to play at Edgbaston at the start of July has been mapped out, with a low-key outing for Sussex's second XI followed by a Rothesay County Championship game against Durham from June 22.
Should he come through both assignments unscathed, the path could be clear for him to finally begin the long-awaited second chapter of a Test career that began with a bang against Australia in 2019.
'If things go well, he should be available for the second Test,' said selector Luke Wright.
'He's got to keep ticking off every day and getting no sort of setbacks, but if all goes well and Jofra gets through that Durham game, then he's available potentially for selection for that second Test.
'We'll watch him in that game for Sussex and see where he's at. He's such a talent, it doesn't take him too long to get up to speed.
'We can assess it from there: how he's bowled, how he's feeling, and if we want him to go for that second Test, we can asses as we go. We'll know more after that game.'
With Gus Atkinson absent with a hamstring strain from the Zimbabwe game, England are expected to go in with a pace attack of Carse, Woakes and Josh Tongue.
That would position Sam Cook as back-up to Woakes after a middling debut at Trent Bridge and Overton as cover for the quicker pair on his return to the Test squad after three years away.
A thornier decision awaits when it comes to Bethell. England rate the 21-year-old extremely highly following his impressive maiden series in New Zealand before Christmas and he was in eye-catching form during the recent ODI clean sweep against West Indies.
'He's very close to it, it's a great option to have, isn't it?' Wright said of Bethell.
1st Test - Headingley, Jun 20-24
2nd Test - Edgbaston, Jul 2-6
3rd Test - Lord's, Jul 10-14
4th Test - Old Trafford, Jul 23-27
5th Test - The Oval, Jul 31-Aug 4
Captain Ben Stokes has become frustrated at media speculation that Bethell could come in for his deputy Ollie Pope, who scored a fine century against Zimbabwe to seemingly shore up his spot at number three, but the question is not going away.
Wright stopped short of offering an iron-clad promise that Pope would retain his position against India but both he and Zak Crawley appear likely to stay in place, in the short term at least.
'What a talent we all see in him. We'll get together when we get up to Leeds and announce that two days out from the Test,' Wright said.
'We'll consider everything: conditions, what has gone before. All of those considerations go into the melting pot.'
England squad for the first Test against India: B Stokes (c), S Bashir, J Bethell, H Brook, B Carse, S Cook, Z Crawley, B Duckett, J Overton, O Pope, J Root, J Smith (wkt), J Tongue, C Woakes.