England legend James Anderson has urged the England cricket team management to include Jofra Archer in the playing XI for the crucial third match of the ENG vs IND 2025 Test series at Lord's, which starts on Thursday. After a 336-run loss in the second Test at Edgbaston, which leveled the five-match series 1-1, Anderson believes Archer's express pace could be the X-factor England needs to bounce back.
England's pace attack struggled significantly on the flat Edgbaston pitch, failing to make an impact as India amassed huge totals. This lack of penetration from the bowlers allowed India to dominate the contest, culminating in a resounding victory. After the crushing defeat, England are expected to make some changes to their bowling attack, with Jofra Archer sitting on the bench.
Anderson warned that delaying Archer's inclusion any further could prove costly, insisting England must unleash him at Lord's before it's too late. “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 BBC's Tailenders Podcast. “I think he will play".
Archer, who last played a Test for England in February 2021, recently made his red-ball return for Sussex, sending down 18 tidy overs and picking up a wicket. Though the ace pacer, who has been out of the English Test setup due to recurring injuries over the past few years, was part of the squad for the Edgbaston Test, a return to the XI didn't materialize.
England head coach Brendon McCullum also shared his thoughts on Archer's readiness, making it clear the pacer is very much in contention. “Jofra is looking fit, he's looking strong, he's looking ready to go, and he'll come into calculations,” McCullum said. “It's hugely exciting. He's buzzing as well. He's obviously been through his injuries and his time out of Test cricket". “We all know what he's capable of achieving in Test cricket and we hope that when the opportunity does arrive for him, he's able to recapture and also improve on what he's been able to do already in that form of the game".
Archer, 30, featured in the IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals, where he clocked 152.3 kmph – the second-fastest delivery of the season – and took 11 wickets in 12 matches. His raw pace and ability to unsettle batters remain one of England's most potent weapons, especially at Lord's, where he made an impressive Test debut during the 2019 Ashes.
The veteran pacer noted that Archer seems to have regained his red-ball rhythm, having spent time playing for Sussex and being around the team during the Edgbaston Test. “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".
Anderson believes that England should start “building” up Archer's overs and try to include him in the playing XI at Lord's since it is “too crucial” of a game to miss out, especially after England's crushing defeat at Edgbaston.
Following his recovery from a hamstring injury he suffered during the May one-off Test match against Zimbabwe, fast bowler Gus Atkinson is back in the running. All-round batter Jacob Bethell is also being considered, although head coach Brendon McCullum has stated that the 22-year-old will not be taking Shoaib Bashir's place as the starting spinner.
