Express pacer Jofra Archer might have finished with three wickets but former England pacer Stuart Broad believes the right-arm pacer could have easily ended the day with a five-wicket haul against Pakistan in the on-going second Test at Lord’s.
Archer was one of the main reasons why Pakistan were bowled out for just 110 on the second day. England had been dismissed for 290 earlier in the day but their bowlers quickly turned the game in their team’s favour. Ollie Robinson led the attack with four wickets for 11 runs, while Archer took three for 26.
Archer was particularly impressive with his pace. He averaged 90.7 mph during his opening spell, making it the fastest spell of his Test career. He also touched speeds close to 94 mph as Pakistan’s batters struggled to cope with the extra pace and bounce.
Broad, who retired from international cricket in 2023, felt Archer’s figures did not fully show how well he bowled.
“He could have walked away with five-for,” Broad said, pointing to the chances created by the England fast bowler.
Archer had Pakistan in trouble almost from the moment he came into the attack. His pace kept the batters under pressure, while his ability to hit the pitch hard made scoring difficult. England also benefited from the work of Robinson and Josh Tongue, giving Pakistan very little room to settle.
The bowling performance was especially important because England had not had an easy first innings. Mohammad Abbas had caused problems for the hosts on the opening day, and England were reduced to 248 for nine before eventually being dismissed for 290. Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue added 42 runs for the final wicket to take England to a more respectable total.
Pakistan’s reply, however, lasted only 37 overs. Azan Awais was the only batter to offer much resistance, scoring 46. The rest of the batting order struggled against England’s pace attack.
Archer’s return to Test cricket has been closely watched because of the injuries that kept him away from the format for several years. His ability to bowl at high pace has made him an important part of England’s plans, but managing his workload remains a key concern.
The pacer himself played down the speed readings after his spell, joking about the accuracy of the speed guns. His performance, however, was hard to ignore.
England ended the second day firmly in control. After taking a 180-run first-innings lead, they reached 81 for three in their second innings before bad light stopped play. Their overall lead had stretched to 261 runs.