'I can play the other two (against India) if they let me. I don't want to lose this series'
England tearaway Jofra Archer is willing to do everything in his power to secure a ticket on the plane that will fly to Australia in November to face their fiercest rivals and fight for the coveted Ashes urn.
Archer returned to the Test fold after a four-year absence, during which injuries plagued him. He tested the speed gun to its limits with his scorching pace and muzzled the Indian spectators with his relentless spells. In the first innings, Archer struck at crucial junctures and picked up the priceless wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Washington Sundar.
During England's defence of a 193-run target — when wickets were needed most on the final day — Archer bowled in tandem and wreaked havoc. In the blink of an eye, he rattled Rishabh Pant's off-stump with a searing delivery to set the tone for the day. Pant failed to grasp the rocket that Archer unleashed from his loaded arsenal.
He continued his onslaught by luring Washington Sundar into pushing a return catch straight into his hands, dismissing him for a duck. Archer marked his return in whites with match figures of 5 for 105. After consistently bowling at around 145kph, Archer now has eight days to recover before the Manchester Test next week. He is eager to feature in the remaining two Tests to strengthen his case for the Ashes in November.
"I can play the other two (against India) if they let me. I don't want to lose this series. I told Keysey (England men's managing director, Rob Key) I wanted to play the Test summer and I wanted to play the Ashes. I think one tick is already there, and I will do everything possible in my power to be on the plane in November," he told Sky Sports.
In his first outing under the dynamic duo of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, Archer’s performance could hardly have gone any better. He credited his long rehab for allowing him to return to the format he loves.
"Obviously, it (Test cricket) would have been the format that took the most time to come back to. So I played 50-over and T20 cricket for the last year, year and a half, two years. And you always just wondered... The guys have played some really exciting cricket since Baz (McCullum) took over. I think the mentality of the team under Baz suits the way I like to play my cricket. So, you know, I just couldn't wait to get back and actually do it without having to be prompted to do it," he said.