Jofra Archer has played only 13 Tests in his six-year career, the latest of which was against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in February 2021. The right-arm seamer has been anxious to play the game’s longest format for quite some time, but the team is not in a hurry to get him return, given his history of ailments in recent years.

Archer’s international career has been plagued by recurring elbow injuries and, most recently, a fractured thumb. However, the 30-year-old is poised to make his red-ball return for the Three Lions during the five-match Test series against India.

England captain Ben Stokes claimed that Jofra Archer was desperate to play Test cricket.

The renowned all-rounder also said that the fast bowler messaged him prior to the one-off Test against Zimbabwe last month, asking where he stood in terms of selection.

“He’s been desperate to put the white shirt back on. He’d randomly text me, ‘Zim?’ – as in, ‘Am I in for Zimbabwe?’ I had to tell him, “Let’s just hold it there.” “I know you’re feeling good, but we don’t want to rush it,” Stokes said during the pre-match press conference.

It is believed that the speedster will take a major step forward in his comeback on Sunday, June 22, when he plays for Sussex against Durham in the County Championship.

The English captain sympathised with Archer, who has missed a significant amount of cricket owing to injuries, and voiced his delight at the idea of using the right-arm pacer in the near future.

“He’s had a bad run of injuries, but he’s played a lot of white-ball cricket recently. It’s positive not only for England, but especially for Jof. The fact that we can now put a plan in place for his red-ball return is encouraging,” Stokes added.

After the Tests against India, England are set to play the Ashes later this year when they travel to Australia to face Pat Cummins and Co. The Three Lions’ skipper has an opportunity to etch his name as one of England’s greatest captains of all time if he manages to guide his team to success in these two important red-ball assignments. However, the 34-year-old said that he isn’t too concerned about personal goals and milestones while playing for the country.

“There’s always a different energy when India or Australia are in town – we’re aware of how much these series mean. But I’ve never sat down thinking about how this could define my time as captain. That would be selfish, and that’s just not who I am. I’d like to believe that since taking on the role, I’ve given it everything. I don’t spend time worrying about how people will assess me once it’s all over – I just focus on leading this team with everything I’ve got.”