As England aim to bounce back in the third Test against India at Lord’s (July 10, 2025), former fast-bowling great James Anderson has firmly advised England to play paceman Jofra Archer in the third Test. Anderson stressed that the third Test is very crucial for England. Archer hasn’t played Test cricket since February 2021, sidelined by elbow stress fractures and a back injury. He, however, recently made his red-ball return for Sussex against Durham in the County Championship.
"You could keep trying to build his overs up and play him later in the series, but it could be too late by then," Anderson said on the Tailenders podcast, as quoted by BBC.
"I think he will play.
"He's played one game for Sussex, he was around the team at Edgbaston and bowled a bit. I just feel like you've got to play him. It's too crucial a game not to."
India, on the other side, snapped a series-leveling 336-run win over England in the second Test on Sunday at Edgbaston. Meanhwile, the third Test starts on Thursday at Lord’s.
England squad for third Test: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.