England announced a 15-man squad for the second Test against India, starting July 02 in Birmingham. Express pacer Jofra Archer returned to the Test squad after four years. England have not made any other change to the squad that won the first Test against India in Leeds. Sam Cook and Jacob Betthel are back after having been released to play County Cricket midway through the first Test.
England squad for 2nd Test vs India
- Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Betthel, Harry Brook, Byrdon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
Archer returned to play first-class cricket for Sussex against Durham in Chester Le Street earlier this week in a bid to prove his match-fitness for red-ball cricket. He bowled 18 overs in the county game and picked up a wicket.
The express pacer last played a Test match for England against India in Ahmedabad in February 2021.
After that appearance, Archer’s red-ball career halted abruptly. Shortly thereafter, he underwent surgery to remove glass from a tendon in his hand and had an elbow procedure—his first of several—through May and December 2021.
Scans in August 2021 revealed a stress fracture in his right elbow, ruling him out of the rest of that year, including the Ashes and T20 World Cup. In May 2022, he suffered a lower-back stress fracture, sidelining him for the entire summer.
Despite returning to white-ball cricket in early 2023, including ODIs and T20Is against South Africa and Bangladesh, it came at a cost: elbow discomfort during the IPL led to a mid-season exit, followed by scans confirming another stress fracture in the same elbow in May 2023.
Archer’s workload was one of the biggest talking points in England cricket. He missed entire season of the IPL in 2024.
Archer was, however, available for T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy. He also played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, making a mark for the Sanju Samson-led team.
ENGLAND RETAIN FAITH IN WINNING SQUAD
England have not made changes to their winning combination. In the absence of Archer, England played Chris Woakes, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse in the first Test against England. Captain Stokes did the job of the fourth seamer wonderfully well, picking up five wickets in the match, including a four-wicket haul in the first innings.
Care and Tongue stepped up even as Woakes had an ordinary outing with the ball.
England won the first Test, chasing 371 in the final innings to script their second-highest successful chase in Test cricket history. Their bowling group did not give up even as India’s top-order stepped up in both innings. While four batters from the top-order scored hundreds, including a twin hundred from wicketkeeper-batter RIshabh Pant, India collapsed in both innings, conceding positions of advantage.
India lost seven wickets for 41 runs in the first innings and six wickets for 31 runs in the second.
England will have the advantage when they meet India as they have never lost to the Asian giants in Birmingham, winning seven and securing a draw in eight matches played at the venue. It was in Birmingjham where England scripted their highest successful chase of 378 against India in 2022.
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