'Right time to bring Jofra Archer' - Stuart Broad tells Ben Stokes ahead of IND vs ENG 3rd Test as England bowlers struggle

Mayank Bande

'Right time to bring Jofra Archer' - Stuart Broad tells Ben Stokes ahead of IND vs ENG 3rd Test as England bowlers struggle image

(getty)

England suffered a heavy 336-run defeat against India at Edgbaston in the second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, as the visitors managed to level the series 1-1.

The hosts went into the match with an unchanged XI and decided to bowl once again. However, India capitalized on their strong start this time, batting for 151 overs and scoring 587 runs in the first innings.

In the second innings, England couldn't bowl India out despite bowling another 83 overs and were asked to chase down 608 runs, which they failed to do.

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After England bowled 113, 96, 151, and 83 overs across the first two Tests with the same bowlers, who looked tired towards the end, England legend Stuart Broad has suggested that Ben Stokes should rope in Jofra Archer for the next Test at Lord's after he was previously added to the squad.

Here's what Broad had to say.

Should England bring Jofra Archer for 3rd Test at Lord's?

While reviewing England's defeat against India at Edgbaston for Sky Sports Cricket, Broad lauded the effort of the English bowlers in a grueling Test where they had to bowl 134 overs.

He noted that the ball to Harry Brook on Day 2 showed how drained the frontline bowlers were, after their heavy workloads and minimal rest over the first four innings.

"No lack of trying, there was a lot of effort there, but I think the bowlers look a little bit weary. Brydon Carse's feet are obviously hurting him. He was hobbling around. Stokes' workload's probably been a bit higher than he was hoping for," he observed.

READ MORE: Wiaan Mulder shatters multiple records on Test captaincy debut

Broad said there could be some changes in the next Test with Jofra Archer in line to make his long-awaited Test return.

He recalled how lethal Archer had looked in his debut during the 2019 Ashes, where he troubled both Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne with the bouncers, even hitting them on the head.

"I think there will be some changes going forward to the Lord's with it being a back-to-back game. What those changes will be, we don't know. He [Archer] looks ready to go; he looks like he could come in," he indicated.

"He made his Test debut at Lord's in that famous Ashes match where he hit Steve Smith and then Labuschagne as he came in as a replacement. I think, after a loss, it feels like the right time to see what Jofra Archer can do." 

READ MORE: 'Edgbaston was more like a subcontinent pitch' - Ben Stokes justifies England's 2nd Test loss to India

How did Archer perform in his last Test at the Lord's?

Archer took 5/91 in his only Test at the venue in 2019 at an average of 18.20 and an impressive economy rate of 2.06 against Australia.

He engaged in a memorable battle with Steve Smith, peppering the former world number one with fiery bouncers, one of which led to a concussion. That forced Australia to bring in Marnus Labuschagne as a replacement then.

England have also added Gus Atkinson to the squad. The pacer has taken 19 wickets in just 2 Tests at Lord’s, including three five-wicket hauls. He missed the first two Tests of the ongoing series due to a hamstring injury.

Mayank Bande

Mayank Bande has been a content producer at The Sporting News since 2023 and has extensive experience in cricket writing. His work has previously appeared on platforms like OneCricket and Last Word on Sports. Beyond cricket, Mayank closely follows football as an FC Barcelona supporter, along with tennis and Olympic sports. Despite holding a degree in Business Administration, he chose to pursue a career in sports, bringing sharp analysis to his writing as someone who once played cricket.