Jofra Archer may make his long-awaited return to Test cricket after four years, having been named to England’s team for the second Test against India at Edgbaston next week. England appointed Archer to the squad after securing a 1-0 series lead with a five-wicket victory at Headingley. The second test is expected to start on Wednesday, June 2.

Jofra Archer recently returned to red-ball cricket for the first time since May 2021, appearing for Sussex in a County Championship match against Durham.

He joins Jamie Overton, Sam Cook, and Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue, all of whom have played their debut Tests.

“It felt fine today.” Archer said, “I’ve been playing for a year and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine.”

“Now it’s a new task, since I know my body can do it. The cerebral aspect of the game [will be challenging]. I’ll have to deal with it for a few days, but everything will be fine. He continued, “It’s a new challenge, and I’ll keep trucking along.”

The 30-year-old Archer was sidelined for an extended length of time after suffering a reoccurring elbow problem, which was followed by a back stress fracture. As a result, he played in just seven limited-overs internationals between March 2021 and May 2024.

However, he has subsequently returned to regular white-ball cricket and, most recently, made his long-awaited first-class debut at Chester-le-Street. He bowled 18 overs for Sussex against Durham, picking up one wicket for 32 runs in a draw.

Tongue was England’s best performance in the inaugural Test at Leeds, taking 7 for 158. Ben Stokes took five wickets, while Carse claimed four. Woakes, despite a subpar performance of 1 for 148, may regain his groove as the series develops.

England’s squad against India for second Test:

Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes