England pace icon James Anderson has called for the team to make a bold decision in fielding Jofra Archer in the playing XI for the crucial third Test against India, which starts at Lord's on Thursday.
The five-match ICC World Test Championship series is evenly balanced at 1-1 after India crushed England by 336 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston.
Archer, who reunited with the England team in the last Test in Birmingham, has not played a red-ball international since 2021. But the 29-year-old recently returned to action in the first-class arena with an encouraging performance for Sussex.
According to the ICC, speaking on this, Anderson's opinion was that England shouldn't wait to include Archer. "You may try to keep building his overs up and play him later in the series, but it might be too late by then. I believe he will play," Anderson added. "He's played one match for Sussex, he was with the group at Edgbaston and bowled a little. I just feel like you've got to play him. It's too big a game not to."
England coach Brendon McCullum, though excited over Archer's improvement, was more cautious in his words. "Jofra is looking fit, he's looking strong, he's looking ready to go, and he'll come into calculations. It's hugely exciting. He's buzzing as well," McCullum stated.
He recognized Archer's difficult journey back from being injured but was upbeat. "He's clearly been through his injuries and his break from Test cricket. We all know what he's capable of doing in Test cricket, and we hope when the chance does present itself to him, he's able to reclaim and also improve on what he's already managed to do in that version of the game."
Before the third Test, England also strengthened their pace attack by including fast bowler Gus Atkinson in a 16-strong team. Atkinson was included just after England's thumping defeat in the second Test.
England team for the 3rd Test at Lord's
Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, 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.
As the series teeters finely and pressure increases, everyone's attention will be on Lord's as England weighs the option of unleashing Archer's speed and experience to tip the balance in their favor.
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