England fast bowler Jofra Archer has earned a name for himself in his short international career for his raw pace. He had sent the entire world into shock when he bowled that 92mph bouncer that concussed Australia star Steve Smith during last year’s Ashes. Recently, Archer recalled the incident stating that it brought memories of late Phil Hughes back.
Incidentally, the former Australia opener died after a short-pitched delivery struck him during a domestic Sheffield Shield match in 2014. Sean Abbott, who bowled the fearsome bouncer went into a mental trauma after the incident and took some time to return to the game.
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Jofra Archer, who delivered the vicious bouncer said he had started to fear the worst when the bouncer hit Smith at the Lord’s Cricket Stadium. Soon after the ball struck, the No. 1 Test batsman laid flat on the ground. The significant incident was greeted by pin-drop silence by the crowd at Lord’s.
“My first reaction was that it hit the helmet but a few seconds after he went down, everyone was like ‘Oh no’,” Archer told Talksport radio as he recalled the moment Smith, a team-mate at Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals, fell to the turf.
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“We had the stuff with Phil a few years ago and, generally, anything that hits you in that vicinity is going to be trouble. I’m just glad that he came out on the other side of it and batted in two games,” added Archer, who was making his Test debut.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith returned to action after taking a match off and was in his brilliant self. He finished the series with 774 runs from seven innings including three centuries and three fifties and thus helping Australia to retain the Ashes urn in England for the first time since 2001. He also leapfrogged Virat Kohli to become the No.1 Test batsman on the back of the excellent series.
