One thousand, five hundred and ninety-eight days. That was how long Jofra Archer had to wait to bowl in a Test match again. And it only took three balls for him to strike.
At 2.40pm on the second afternoon, one over into India’s first innings, Archer gave his cap to the umpire to huge cheers. The Lord’s crowd can be notoriously relaxed about regaining their seats during the afternoon session. Not this time. An expectant hum awaited the sight of England’s number 22, back with a red ball.
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Archer was back bowling from the Pavilion End at Lord’s, the same end that he hit Steve Smith from during the 2019 Ashes. Ben Stokes and Archer, long-time Call of Duty partners, were now back to sharing a field together. At mid-on, Stokes gave Archer his final words of encouragement. Three slips and a gully signalled the captain’s faith.
One delivery was all that Archer needed to show England what they have been missing. Bowling over the wicket to Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had hit 13 from Chris Woakes’s first over, Archer angled his first delivery across the batsman. He immediately located a speed of 87mph and his preferred length: just back-of-a-length, short enough to prevent batsmen from using their front foot.
Archer’s next delivery was slightly fuller, inducing Jaiswal to prod forward. The batsman did, and came within an inch of edging behind.
Next ball, Jaiswal was not so lucky. Archer dragged his length back a little, squaring Jaiswal up. His edge ballooned to second slip: a testament to the value of Archer’s 89mph pace. Indeed, his first over was the fastest of any bowler this series yet: a graphic illustration of how he can transform a Test attack, and vindication for England’s belief that a single first-class game for Sussex would ready him for a comeback.
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As the catch landed safely in Harry Brook’s hands, Archer leapt away: a run of jubilation and disbelief, part pent-up frustration, part unadulterated joy. Tearing off to gully, he was first embraced by Shoaib Bashir, and then engulfed by his entire side, exultant that this brilliant cricketer was back on the grand stage.
After four years of anguish and five surgeries, Archer had a Test match wicket. He beamed with delight, then picked out his mum in the crowd. They could bask in a moment that they feared would never come.
Four factors that made Archer so lethal against India
Speed
For England fans, the most important question surrounding Archer’s first spell was whether he could find his old speed. The answer was a resounding yes. Archer’s first over was the fastest in the entire series so far. He then topped that in his second over, when he bowled at an average of 90.6mph. While his speed dropped a little over the course of his five-over spell, he still averaged 89.2mph in his final over.
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After tea, Archer returned for a second spell, in two halves: two overs from the Pavilion End; then, after an extra over off to change ends, three overs from the Nursery End. While he did not quite match his speed in his first spell, England would still have been thrilled with Archer’s continued pace. His second spell had an average speed of 86.8mph, compared to 89.8mph in his first spell.
Archer bowled at an average of 90.6mph in his second over – Getty Images /Stu Forster
Accuracy
Throughout his opening spell, Archer harassed the batsmen relentlessly, immediately settling into an awkward line and length. Not until his 13th delivery did he mislay his radar, spearing a ball down the leg side. In his fourth over, in pursuit of extra seam movement, he was driven for a four and then a two by Karun Nair.
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While India scored freely against the rest of the attack, Archer was parsimonious when he returned. He only conceded six runs from his five overs after tea, compared with 16 from five overs earlier in the day.
Movement
Archer relies more on seam movement than swing. Seam was his main asset throughout his spell, repeatedly jagging the ball past the outside edge against left and right-handers alike. After tea, Archer deployed the short ball more. One delivery which reared up from short-of-a-length reared up awkwardly and almost kissed KL Rahul’s glove.
Variety
One of Archer’s most valuable assets is his versatility. In the 2019 Ashes series, he combined ferocious short bowling at Lord’s with masterful seam bowling at Headingley – when he dropped his speed, bowled fuller and claimed six for 45. In his comeback Test, Archer showed both sides of his game in tandem.
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On a largely docile pitch, Stokes swiftly enlisted Archer to bowl short. In his fourth over, one ball leapt up to Nair’s left shoulder. The batsman tickled the ball towards the on side, narrowly evading the man lurking at leg slip for the exact shot: Stokes himself.
In the evening session, with the Dukes ball offering scant assistance, Archer deployed the short ball increasingly often. In 10 overs, he had shown a simple truth: England have a far more potent attack when it includes a bowler with his gifts.
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