Michael Vaughan Warns England Against Rushing Jofra Archer After Leeds Triumph: 'Hasn't Played Longer Format For 4 Years'

Jofra Archer's fitness remains a curious case. To build up his momentum for a potential return, the England pacer was involved in his 1st first-class match in four years for Sussex.

Will Jofra Archer Play In Second Test Against India?

England inflicted a harrowing defeat on the Indian team in Leeds. Ben Stokes and Co. chased down 371 runs in the 4th innings to mark a significant gain in the five-match Test series. Despite Indian batters hitting five centuries, Shubman Gill had a very underwhelming start to his India captaincy.

Archer's encouraging display will be a massive boost for England, who already had a number of bowlers on the sidelines. Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson haven't been a part of the Test squad, but there is a distinct possibility Archer could be unleashed against India.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has issued a warning to England, insisting them not to rush back Archer after playing just one first-class match following a prolonged absence.

As quoted by the BBC, he said, “The good thing is that Jofra is back in the equation - but I'd like to see him play another four-day game.

"He's not played the longer format for four years so why, on the back of one game for Sussex against Durham, would you rush him back?

"We know the intensity at Test-match level is so different to county cricket. Let him play another four-day game - I would go with the same line-up, as long as the bowlers are fine and there are no niggles."

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Indian Bowlers Looked Clueless In Leeds

India's bowling performance, too, has faced several questions. Barring Jasprit Bumrah, most of the Indian bowlers failed to live up to expectations. Bumrah, surprisingly, wasn't used when India took the second new ball and later Shubamn Gill insisted that he wanted to have the other bowlers have a go at the English batters. The likes of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna looked clueless at times, and with Bumrah not available for all five Test matches, it remains to be seen how Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill execute their plans perfectly.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant Hits New High, Indian Vice-Captain Achieves Career Best ICC Test Ranking After Leeds Heroics