England unchanged for second India Test as Jofra…

England unchanged for second India Test as Jofra Archer leaves camp

Jofra Archer won’t be part of the England XI in the second Test against India - (Steve Welsh/PA Wire)

England have named an unchanged line-up for the second Test against India this week with Jofra Archer leaving the camp for a family emergency.

The hope is that pace bowler Archer’s much ballyhooed return to Test cricket – he hasn’t played in the five-day format since 2021 – will now come at Lord’s in the third Test after being forced to temporarily take time away from the group.

He is expected to return on Tuesday to train with Ben Stokes’ side, though it remains unclear when he will be made available to play for Sussex.

“Jofra Archer will not be joining the England Test squad for today’s training session at Edgbaston, Monday 30 June, due to a family emergency,” read a short statement by the ECB. “He is expected to rejoin the squad tomorrow.”

The 30-year-old pace bowler, who has not played Test cricket since February 2021, returns to the England set-up following a thrilling five-wicket win for Brendon McCullum’s side in the series opener against India at Headingley.

Archer’s Test career has been derailed by a string of injuries. He played his first red-ball match since May 2021 last week, marking his return with a wicket in Sussex’s County Championship draw against Durham at Chester-le-Street.

Jofra Archer made his first-class return for Sussex at Durham last week (PA Wire)

He initially burst on to the international scene in 2019, bowling the decisive super-over in England’s World Cup win over New Zealand at Lord’s and taking 22 wickets at 20.27 in four Tests that followed against Australia in the drawn Ashes series.

But an elbow injury first sustained in 2020 and that required four operations curtailed Archer’s progress and he then had to work his way back from a recurring stress fracture in his back, which he first sustained in 2022.

He returned to action for England in their ODI series against Bangladesh in March 2023, but was then sidelined by elbow issues and did not play international cricket until May 2024.

England have painstakingly managed Archer to the brink of a Test comeback in the last couple of years, all thanks to the efforts of doctors, physios and especially fast bowling coach Neil Killeen.