Jofra Archer Back in England Test Squad After Four Years for 2nd Test Against India

Jofra Archer is all set to return to Test cricket after being away for four years. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has named him in the squad for the second Test against India, which will be played on July 2, 2025, at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Archer’s comeback is great news for England, who are already 1-0 ahead in the five-match series. Known for his raw pace and ability to trouble batters, Archer last played a Test match in 2021 against India in Ahmedabad. His return will add more strength to a bowling unit that already has Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, and skipper Ben Stokes.

The 30-year-old fast bowler has faced several injuries since his last Test. Most recently, a thumb injury kept him out of the white-ball series against the West Indies. But Archer showed he’s ready again by performing well for Sussex in a county match against Durham, where he scored 31 runs and took 1 wicket for 32 runs in 18 overs.

England squad for the 2nd Test at Edgbaston is out and guess who's back?

Jofra Archer returns to the Test squad for the first time in 4 years! #ENGvsIND 👉🏻 2nd TEST | WED, 2nd JULY, 2.30 PM on JioHotstar pic.twitter.com/bmd6j3MujS

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 26, 2025

Archer has played 13 Test matches so far and has taken 42 wickets. His last appearance for England was earlier this year in the ICC Champions Trophy. Now, with his return to red-ball cricket, England’s bowling attack looks even stronger. England pulled off a strong win in the first Test, chasing down the target to win by five wickets. They’ll be aiming for a repeat performance at Edgbaston. On the other side, India will be hungry to bounce back and level the series.

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England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), 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 and Chris Woakes.