Jofra Archer’s return to first-class cricket for Sussex in the County Championship 2025 match against Durham marked a crucial step forward in his bid to make a comeback in Tests for England.

While Archer’s body stood up to the rigours of red-ball cricket so far, the 30-year-old England cricket team pacer says the greater challenge now lies in the mind, especially after such a long absence from the format.

“Now it's a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game (will be challenging),” Archer, who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, told Sussex Cricket at the end of the second day’s play on Monday.

“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,” he added.

Archer, who last played a Test for England in 2021, has gradually built back his fitness through limited-overs cricket after a long battle with injuries.

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On his red-ball return, Archer picked up his first first-class wicket in 1,501 days - trapping Durham opener Emilio Gay lbw. He bowled 18 overs in the first innings, giving away just 32 runs at an economy rate of under two.

“I’ve been playing for a year, and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine,” he added.

Archer also sees this outing as an important stepping stone to get back into England’s Test cricket setup.

“There have been no restrictions on this game,” he said. “Whatever I did, I did. Obviously, there can't be a limit if you're looking at a Test match. They were in the field for a day-and-a-half (in the first Test at Headingley), so you can’t have restrictions if you're potentially going to go in.”

With Archer remaining injury-free, he could be considered for the second England vs India Test match at Edgbaston, starting July 2.

Jofra Archer last played a Test in February 2021, when he faced India in Ahmedabad. Persistent injuries to his elbow and back have kept him out of red-ball action since.

The England speedster played 12 matches for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, picking up 11 wickets.