'The Archer vs India contest is what I will look at…'- Former India pacer talked about the importance of Jofra Archer in ENG vs IND third Test

The third Test of the five-match series between India and England is set to begin on Thursday, July 10, at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. Both teams will aim to gain the upper hand in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as the series continues to intensify.

England has made a key change to their playing XI, bringing in fast bowler Jofra Archer, who missed the first two Tests. His inclusion is expected to boost the English pace attack, especially in the conditions at Lord’s, which often favor seam bowlers.

Former Indian pacer Varun Aaron has pointed out the upcoming face-off between Archer and the Indian batting lineup as a major contest in this Test. He believes Archer’s pace and bounce could pose a real challenge for the Indian batters, making it a battle that fans should keep an eye on throughout the match.

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Varun Aaron Talked About the Battle Between Jofra Archer and Indian Batters:

Varun Aaron mentioned that Jofra Archer has the skills to challenge both Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul. He also highlighted Archer’s strong track record against Shubman Gill, suggesting the English pacer could play a key role in testing India’s top order in the upcoming Lord’s Test.

He specifically pointed out Shubman Gill’s difficulties against Jofra Archer in Test matches, mentioning that Gill has scored only 18 runs with an average of 9.00 against the English pacer. This track record could make Archer a major threat to Gill in the upcoming clash.  

He said, “ The Archer vs India contest is what I will look at, because Archer has that ability to straighten the ball from off-stump to a left-hander. Jaiswal has been key for India, especially at the start. He can also expose if there are any problems with KL Rahul, with the ball coming back in, because we saw what Woakes did, attacking the stumps a lot. Then if we get Gill in early, again he has great numbers vs Gill.”

Varun Aaron Talked About the Importance of Indian Fast Bowlers:

The former Indian fast bowler also shared that the duel between Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep against England’s top-order batters could be another exciting matchup to watch. He believes this pace trio has the potential to make a big impact in the upcoming Test at Lord’s.

Bumrah, Siraj and Akash Deep vs the top order of the England batting unit, because Siraj and Akash Deep have gotten 17 wickets between them in the second Test, a lot of wickets with the new ball, and, at the end of the day, if you get wickets with the new ball and get your team off to a good start at Lord's, you are mostly commanding the whole Test," he further added.