England has announced their squad for the second Test against India, scheduled to begin on July 2nd at Edgbaston in Birmingham, and the biggest news is the return of Jofra Archer after a hiatus of four years. Archer, 30, last played a Test match in February 2021, also against India. His inclusion bolsters England's pace attack.
Archer's career has been punctuated by injuries, including an elbow issue and a stress fracture in his back. He has 42 wickets in 13 Test matches. Recently, Archer made his return to first-class cricket, playing for Sussex against Durham. He picked up one wicket in that match and scored 31 runs.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has largely stuck with the squad that secured a five-wicket victory in the first Test at Headingley. The only addition is Archer. The series is now named the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. Following the Edgbaston Test, the remaining three matches will be held at Lord's (July 10-14), Old Trafford in Manchester (July 23-27), and The Oval (July 31-August 4).
The inclusion of Archer provides captain Ben Stokes with another potent weapon in the bowling arsenal. Archer joins a pace attack that already includes Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue.
Sky Sports commentator Adam Williams suggested that Archer's inclusion in the squad might not guarantee an immediate return to the playing XI. It could be a decision by the management, including Rob Key, Brendon McCullum, Luke Wright, and Ben Stokes, to integrate Archer back into the team environment.
Meanwhile, India will be without Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test due to workload management. Bumrah took five wickets in the first innings of the first Test.
England Squad for 2nd Test:
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