Jofra Archer believes England’s four-man pace attack could help extend his Test career after a dominant start to the series against Pakistan. The 31-year-old fast bowler has shared the England attack with Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson for the first time in the Lord’s Test as Pakistan struggled to withstand the sustained pressure from the seamers.
Notably, the visitors were dismissed for 171 and 135 in an innings defeat at Headingley. At Lord’s, they were again bowled out cheaply, making 110 in the first innings as England established a 261-run advantage. England reached 81 for three in their second innings, with Emilio Gay unbeaten on 30.
Archer finished with three wickets for 26 runs at Lord’s, although his performance carried a greater threat than the figures indicated. Robinson was equally effective, claiming four for 11 from 13 consecutive overs.
In this series, the workload has been shared across the attack, allowing the bowlers to rotate without placing excessive demands on any one player. Archer said the arrangement could help him remain involved in Test cricket for years to come.
“It’s really nice having the extra seamers in the line-up. I could play until I’m 40 at this rate. Each day it will be someone else’s turn. Everyone was relentless, everyone wants wickets and it feels like no-one is ever going to be overworked because everyone shares the overs out. If someone is feeling tired, you can just tell Rooty (captain Joe Root) and get swapped out. You get fresh, then you come back again. You don’t have to do too much because someone is going to back you up until you find your feet again,” Archer said after Day 2 of the ongoing Test.
Archer doesn’t take credit for gun spell
Archer’s pace was another feature of his spell. He reached 151.27 kmph and recorded an average of 145.96 kmph during his opening burst, which included the dismissal of Shan Masood and sustained pressure on debutant opener Azan Awais. The spell was recorded as England’s fastest new-ball effort in the series, though Archer questioned the reliability of the speed readings.
“Nah, the speed gun isn’t working properly. I saw some of them as I went back; it was nice to see, but I’ve had times where I’ve felt better and never really had the speeds to show for it. I don’t know who is up in the box working it, but thanks, I’ll take it,” Archer said.
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