IND v ENG: Jofra Archer Set For Red-ball Comeback, Will Play County Game for Sussex For First Time in 4 Years

IND vs ENG: Ahead of the India vs England series, one of the biggest concerns for the home team was the sheer lack of potency in their bowling attack due to the pace battery being ravaged by injuries. They would be without Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson for the first Test - three pacers who, in normal circumstances, would be sure short starters for the team. However, the good news is that they can expect to be with one of those 3 options for potentially the next Test at Edgbaston, Birmingham. 

That is because Jofra Archer is going to make a return to County cricket for Sussex during their four-day game against Durham that gets underway on Sunday (June 22). 

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Archer ‘Desperate’ to Make Test Comeback

Should all go well for Archer in the county game, he will likely be included in the squad for the second IND v ENG Test - something he is desperate to do, as revealed by England captain Ben Stokes. 

"Randomly, a couple of times he would just send me a text saying, ‘Zimbabwe?' and I was like, ‘Let’s just hold it there, alright. I know you’re in a good spot right now but let’s not just rush into it’. He’s obviously had a horrific time with injuries but he’s had some good amount of cricket, albeit in the white-ball formats," Stokes told Sky Cricket.

Archer last played a Test match for England in February 2021, and a mooted County comeback later that year also fell through due to the injury issues he is facing. 

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Active in White-ball Cricket

The good news is that he has been playing regular cricket in the past two seasons, even if it comes with the obvious caveat that it is largely in limited-overs cricket. 

He was part of the England side that played in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and also played in the IPL 2025 for the Rajasthan Royals. 

He did not play in the one-off Test vs Zimbabwe but with a county return now on the cards, there will be hope that he can make a successful Test comeback too.