Ever since Jofra Archer was introduced by the England team, everyone loved him — his pace, his action, his aggression. He was called the epitome of fast bowling and was absolutely destined for greatness. But fate can be bitter, harsh, and far from reality. That’s exactly what happened with England’s right-arm pacer, Jofra Archer.
It doesn’t mean he hasn’t played any format of cricket in recent times, but he has been inconsistent — all because of injuries, injuries, and more injuries.
Nevertheless, there is good news. Jofra might play his first Test in four years as he has been picked for the second Test against India in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Not so long ago, Jofra had said he believed he could return to Test cricket after playing some four-day cricket in the ongoing County Championship.
Speaking to Sussex Cricket at Chester-le-Street after the second day’s play — where he dismissed Emilio Gay lbw for his first first-class wicket in 1,501 days — Archer admitted the experience had been “mentally tough” on a surface that offered very little lateral movement for bowlers.
“I’m glad to just finish a day of four-day cricket,” he said. “Last time I played [against Kent at Hove in May 2021], I just made it to tea, so I’m glad to go all the way today.
“When the scoreboard got to 50 overs, I was like, ‘Jesus, time to come off now!'” he joked.
“But it wasn’t too bad. Doing it session by session was okay, but the pitch didn’t do much.
“Today could have been the longest day I’ve ever had — and not because it’s red-ball cricket,” he added. “I’ve been in the field for two-and-a-half days before, and it still didn’t feel as long as today. When the ball is moving, and you’re getting something off the pitch, it feels a bit more exciting.”
Jofra further said he felt quite good playing red-ball cricket again, given it had been more than two years since he made his comeback — although he has played cricket on and off since.
“It felt all right today,” he said. “I’ve been playing for a year, and bowling for two years including the build-up, so everything is fine.
“There have been no restrictions in this game,” he added when asked if the ECB had requested he limit his workload. “Whatever I did, I did. Obviously, there can’t be a limit if you’re looking at a Test match. They [India] were in the field for a day-and-a-half [in the first Test at Headingley].
“You can’t have restrictions if you’re potentially going to go in. You put your body through as much pressure — safely — as possible to put yourself in the best position.”
Archer’s right thumb injury, sustained during the IPL, delayed his return to action this summer. However, he classified that setback more as an “accident than an injury,” especially compared to the career-threatening elbow and back fractures that have plagued his recent career — not to mention the bizarre glass cut he sustained from a shattered fish tank back in 2021.
“If you get cut in the kitchen with a knife, no one’s going to call it an injury,” he said. “It’s similar with my thumb. I just got hit while batting, as we do all the time, but unfortunately, it got fractured. If it was my left thumb, I could have carried on and no one would know — but because it was my bowling hand, I had to give it a bit of care.
“But injuries are injuries. Nobody gets injured on purpose, no one knows when they will happen … it can be in the gym, or rehab, pre-hab, or whatever. If you’re supposed to get injured, there’s nothing you can do to get away from it.”
Now, Archer could feature in the second Test against India — and if anything, he’s gearing up for the challenge.
“Back then, I didn’t have the choice because I didn’t think my body could hold up to it.
“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.”
England Men’s Test squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, 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
