Indian spin great R Ashwin recently shared a strong opinion about England fast bowler Jofra Archer during the ongoing Test at Lord’s against India. He suggested that Archer didn’t quite look fully fit or ready to return to Test cricket. Archer was included in England’s Test XI after a long break of over four years.
In India’s first innings, he picked up two wickets. On Day 4, the 30-year-old struck early in the second innings, removing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck after facing just seven balls. Ashwin observed that apart from one decent spell, Archer didn’t seem to find his usual rhythm and hasn’t had much impact in the match so far.
Sharing his views on his YouTube channel, Ash ki Baat, Ashwin, a former India international, commented on the pacer’s performance and raised concerns about his readiness to handle the demands of Test cricket again (from 2:58):
“I am very sorry to say that Jofra Archer, he is not prepared for a Test match. He bowled a good first spell in the first innings, but England do need Jofra Archer to turn up on Day 5.”
Ravichandran Ashwin commented that England’s bowling unit has appeared rather ordinary in the Lord’s Test. He implied that, aside from fast bowlers Ben Stokes and Brydon Carse, the rest of the attack has failed to meet expectations.
“At 58/4, there are only two England bowlers that are bowling really well. They are Ben Stokes and, luckily, Brydon Carse has found the right length. Otherwise, this England bowling attack is looking absolutely pedestrian,” he added (from 2:42).
“Bold call” – R Ashwin backs England to win 3rd Test vs India
India might have backed themselves to chase down the 193-run target, but a shaky start has put them on the back foot. R Ashwin believes England now hold the upper hand in the Lord’s Test. Emphasizing that the responsibility lies with senior batters KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant to revive India’s innings, Ashwin shared his thoughts in the same video (from 3:32):
“England are favorites to win this Test match, at this point in time. It is a big prediction. I think England are favorites to win this Test match, but the two people who have a chance to change this game are KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.”
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.