Jofra Archer Returns to India

Team Udayavani, Feb 4, 2021, 3:32 PM IST

Source: Piqsels.com

On the eve of England’s tour of India, speed demon Jofra Archer said that he was enthusiastic about returning to the subcontinent and the country where he shot to cricketing prominence. Wind the clock back to the 2017-18 cricket season, Jofra Archer had only graduated to the county cricket scene 12 months prior with Sussex.

The Bridgetown-born fast bowler was recruited by the Hobart Hurricanes to make his debut in the 2017-18 Big Bash Twenty20 League hosted in Australia. Within a few weeks, Archer’s name was on the lips of all cricket fans down under, pushing the pace boundaries at a consistent 90mph, en-route to 16 wickets in 12 Big Bash games. His displays caused many Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to raise their eyebrows ahead of the 2018 IPL season.

Rajasthan Royals Helped to Build the Jofra Archer ‘brand’

Archer put his name forward for the 2018 IPL draft, unaware whether he would be selected at all. Little did he know there would be a widespread clamour for his services, with the Rajasthan Royals eventually forking out £800,000 to snap him up, fending off competition from multiple other IPL teams. Royals fans already felt they were onto a good thing in Archer’s debut performance, as he ripped through a trio of the Mumbai Indians in the closing stages of their innings. This helped the Royals to a three-wicket success and taking home the Player of the Match trophy.

Although he didn’t quite equal his figures in the 2017-18 Big Bash League, Archer still managed 15 wickets in 2018, which helped put him in contention for a place in the England national team and cemented him as a key figure in the Sussex squad. Archer was also retained by the Royals for both the 2019 and 2020 IPL seasons, taking 11 and 20 wickets respectively, with his most recent campaign also seeing him register 113 runs with the bat too.

It’s fair to say that the IPL was the making of Jofra Archer, giving him the platform to announce himself to the global cricket stage and compete with the best batsmen on the planet. He’s been involved in some of the most memorable moments with the England setup in the last couple of years, most notably bowling their Super Over in the World Cup final win over New Zealand. His career has come full circle as Archer arrives back in India for England’s four-test tour, beginning in Chennai.

Does Archer Have What It Takes to Take Wickets in the White-hot Chennai Heat?

IMAGE SOURCE: Piqsels.com

In the build-up to the first test, Archer insisted that comparisons should not be drawn between his time in white-ball cricket and the IPL and red ball test cricket in the subcontinent. Archer told Cricbuzz about the “different dynamic” between them and he knows full well about the need to bowl with speed and consistency to help England overcome India, who are notoriously difficult to defeat on home soil. As of February 4th, India are clear 1.44 favourites with Betway to take the first test honours. On the same date, England was priced at 4.75, with the Draw looking unlikely at 5.50 and most sportsbooks anticipating a result in Chennai. Reports state that rains may prevail throughout most of the first test, which should keep the draw price high.

The biggest challenge for Archer in Chennai will be finding his rhythm. The 25-year-old was granted leave by the England setup to miss the recent tour of Sri Lanka, allowing him to return to Barbados and get some much-needed physical and mental rest. Although he has spent time in the nets both in Barbados and since arriving in India, Archer’s last competitive game in red-ball cricket for England was against Pakistan last August.

Archer hasn’t bowled in test match cricket in the subcontinent. He will have the humidity, the soaring temperatures, and the SG cricket balls to master. Mark Wood showed the way in Sri Lanka that consistent, fast bowling can be the undoing of any top-order batsmen. The BBC says England need Archer firing in the same way, with the likes of Stuart Broad and James Anderson likely to be used to keep the run rate down and Archer relied upon as the strike bowler.

You only have to look back to Archer’s displays in New Zealand on two relatively flat tracks to know that he must do better in India. Two wickets in a total of 82 overs were a scant reward for his efforts against the Black Caps. But write off Jofra Archer at your peril – this is a player with more cutters, knuckleball, and high-speed yorkers in his armoury than most test match bowlers.

Archer still has that ‘box office’ potential to help England make more history in the subcontinent. Alongside him is Ben Stokes who is back in practice following the passing of his late father and an in-form skipper in Joe Root, who will play in his 100th test match for his country in Chennai.