England legend James Anderson has urged the England cricket team management to include Jofra Archer in the playing XI for the crucial third match of the ENG vs IND 2025 Test series at Lord’s, starting Thursday.
After a 336-run loss in the second Test at Edgbaston levelled the five-match series 1-1, Anderson believes Archer’s express pace could be the X-factor England need to bounce back.
“You could keep trying to build his overs up and play him later in the series, but it could be too late by then,” said Anderson, who recently retired as England’s leading wicket-taker in Test matches with 700 scalps.
“I think he will play. He’s played one game for Sussex, he was around the team at Edgbaston and bowled a bit. I just feel like you’ve got to play him. It’s too crucial a game not to.”
Archer, who last played a Test for England in February 2021, recently made his red-ball return for Sussex, sending down 18 tidy overs and picking up a wicket.
Though the ace pacer, who has been out of the English Test setup due to recurring injuries over the past few years, was part of the squad for the Edgbaston Test, a return to the XI didn’t materialise.
Never miss an update on Rajasthan Royals—get the latest articles, news, and more by clicking here!
England head coach Brendon McCullum also shared his thoughts on Archer’s readiness, making it clear the pacer is very much in contention.
“Jofra is looking fit, he’s looking strong, he’s looking ready to go, and he’ll come into calculations,” McCullum said. “It’s hugely exciting. He’s buzzing as well. He’s obviously been through his injuries and his time out of Test cricket.”
“We all know what he’s capable of achieving in Test cricket and we hope that when the opportunity does arrive for him, he’s able to recapture and also improve on what he’s been able to do already in that form of the game.”
Archer, 30, featured in the IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals, where he clocked 152.3 kmph – the second-fastest delivery of the season – and took 11 wickets in 12 matches.
His raw pace and ability to unsettle batters remain one of England’s most potent weapons, especially at Lord’s, where he made an impressive Test debut during the 2019 Ashes.
England squad for the third Test vs India: Ben Stokes (c), 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.
