Red-ball cricket and Jofra Archer have been miles apart. The last first-class game the England speedster featured in was a County Championship game for Sussex against Kent back in May 2021.
However, Archer may still have a role to play at some point in time during the India-England five-Test series that begins on June 20. There’s a possibility of Archer being eased back into red-ball cricket for England Lions during the course of their two four-day fixtures against India ‘A’ beginning on May 30.
In the ongoing IPL, Archer has blown hot and cold with 10 wickets from 11 matches for the Rajasthan Royals. The Royals’ bowling coach, Shane Bond, believes Archer will “surely be in England’s plans” during the India Tests.
“Jofra has been hostile. Getting a consistent run of games has brought his confidence back. In terms of Test cricket, he has got a little bit to go under the belt.
“Here you’re only bowling four overs. It’s a big difference to bowling 20 a day. But I’m sure he’s in England’s plans because he can be such a devastating bowler,” Bond said on Saturday.
Bond, however, hopes Archer can finish the IPL season fit. “It’s a tough travel schedule and really hot. So, wherever we can, we try to get six to eight overs of bowling, especially if the guys aren’t playing. It’s the same for Jofra too. But the reality is, you just can’t bowl 10-12 overs a day.”
Among the Indian quicks, Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna can make a difference, Bond believes. “Bumrah being back makes a bit of a difference for Mumbai Indians.
“Prasidh too... They’re the two that spring to mind most in terms of consistent performance,” Bond stated.