Ben Stokes is looking forward to Jofra Archer’s return for the third Test at Lord’s. Stokes said Archer should be happy to be back in the Test team after four years out with injuries.
India won by 336 runs at Edgbaston and the series is level. England have made a change to their team, with Archer in for his first Test in four years.
Archer, 30, is back in the Test squad for the first time since February 2021. He’s quick, so he’ll strengthen England’s bowling which has been all over the place in this series. He’s played first-class cricket for Sussex before joining the England squad for the second Test against India in Birmingham.
Stokes told Sky Sports he’s excited for Archer’s return, for the fans and for Archer himself. He praised Archer for how he’s handled his injuries and for getting back on the park. Stokes thinks Archer should be proud of himself.
Stokes also said they won’t be limiting how much Archer bowls. He said after two tough games it feels like the right time to bring in someone with fresh energy and they’re lucky to have Archer available.
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Stokes said Archer’s presence changes the game because the opposition know what he’s capable of. He thinks Archer can perform at the same level he did on his debut at Lord’s.
Archer last played a Test in February 2021 and has had several injuries since then. He returned to the England white-ball team before the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and has played ODIs and T20Is but his red-ball workload has been managed. He’s played 13 Tests and taken 42 wickets.
