England will field an unchanged XI for the second Test against India at Edgbaston, starting on Wednesday, July 2nd. This means Jofra Archer will have to wait for his comeback.

The decision comes after England's impressive victory in the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, where they chased down a target of 371. Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Shoaib Bashir will form the playing XI.

Jofra Archer's potential return had been a significant talking point ahead of the second Test. Archer last played a Test match in February 2021 against India, and his inclusion in the squad sparked optimism. However, Archer missed training on Monday due to a family emergency. Although he was expected to rejoin the squad on Tuesday, he was not included in the final XI.

Prior to the Test series, Archer had been sidelined with a thumb injury sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 while playing for the Rajasthan Royals. The injury occurred during a match against the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 4th. He was later ruled out of the ODI series against the West Indies due to the same injury. The ECB confirmed that Archer would be monitored, but the injury threatened to delay his return to Test cricket.

In his 12 IPL games, Archer took 11 wickets. However, further assessment revealed ligament damage, ending his IPL season.

England's unchanged lineup suggests confidence in their current squad, which includes two centurions from the first Test, Ollie Pope (106) and Ben Duckett (149). The current series schedule is: * 1st Test: June 20-24, 2025, Headingley, Leeds – England won by 5 wickets. * 2nd Test: July 2-6, 2025, Edgbaston, Birmingham. * 3rd Test: July 10-14, 2025, Lord's, London. * 4th Test: July 23-27, 2025, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. * 5th Test: July 31-August 4, 2025, Kia Oval, London.

India will be aiming to bounce back after their defeat in the first Test.