'Exhilarating' Jofra Archer backed to make Test return after first County Championship outing in four years
Jofra Archer has been backed to make an immediate impact on his return to the England Test fold, with the fast bowler looking as dangerous as ever despite years of struggling with injuries.
Archer played in his first County Championship match for four years on Sunday in a bid to prove his fitness for the second Test at Edgbaston, which starts a week on Wednesday.
While there were few clues from his innings of 31 as Sussex reached 322 for nine on the opening day against Durham, Sussex bowling coach James Kirtley revealed Archer is up to full speed with the ball after a broken thumb.
'We came to practise here yesterday and it was a lively couple of overs he bowled there,' said the former England seamer.
'When I was taking the mitt it was exhilarating but it's not the most pleasurable of experiences.
'I wasn't any good with the bat so even giving myself 20 yards, it still keeps you on your toes. He had fun with it as well.
Archer scored 31 runs off 34 deliveries as Sussex reached 322 for nine at the end of day one
'So the great thing is his pace is still there. He's not always bowled at the highest pace but he's capable of spells that are game-changing. That's what you look for.
'You want Jofra in an England team. He has an X-factor and he gives you that bit of pace England are looking for.'
Archer has not played a Test since 2021 and Sussex have been getting him ready for the demands of red-ball cricket.
Kirtley said: 'We've been managing getting his overs up, bowling back-to-back days, double spells, whatever it is that we need to do in terms of that back-to-bowling plan, but a lot of the time Jofra does it off his own back.
'He doesn't need managing as such, he gets on. He knows what he needs to do and that's a big sign that he wants to bowl in the Test series this summer and in the Ashes.'
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