3 reasons why India need not worry about the Jofra Archer threat ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

England are ready to unleash their wild card, Jofra Archer, after officially naming him in the squad for the second Test against India at Edgbaston, scheduled to begin from Wednesday, July 2, onwards. His addition to the squad keeps him in contention for the playing XI as Ben Stokes and co. aim a near-unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

England were desperate for their injured first-choice frontline pacers to return, and with Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood still recovering, Archer's timely return comes across as ideal. The hosts fielded Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue in the series opener to complement Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes.

After recovering from his recent injury, Archer played a first-class game for Sussex in the County Championship against Durham. The right-arm pacer promises to be the X-Factor for England that needs a little boost, but that hardly suggests that he is going to be a massive headache for India.

On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why India need not worry about the Jofra Archer threat ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test.

#1 Jofra Archer is coming off an injury layoff

Despite making his debut in 2019, the speedster has only played 13 Tests, and none since 2021. The slew of injuries has confined him to white-ball cricket, and the odd red-ball matches at the first-class level. Although his returns for Sussex in the recent clash against Durham were decent, it is far from assuring

It is hardly easy to return to the Test cricket circuit after a four-year period and find your rhythm from the get-go. Furthermore, he is up against an in-form Indian batting side that are bound to capitalise even if he is off the mark marginally.

He was last seen playing consistently during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he arguably had a hot-and-cold season. Since then, he has been recovering from an injury that he sustained during the campaign in India.

On his return fixture, Archer bowled 18 overs in the first innings in a Sussex side that had five to six bowling options. However, his bowling load is bound to increase with England, especially if Edgbaston dishes out a flat wicket. Team India batted over 200 overs in the Leeds Tests, and at the pace at which England bat, he is not assured of enough rest in between innings as well, which could be tough on the body after an injury recovery.

#2 Indian top-order has enough resources to stave off Archer's new-ball threat and pace

Although one match is a small sample size, Team India showed enough judgment and temperament against the new ball in tricky conditions to earn serious praise. Barring Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair, all Indian batters recorded hundreds, and did so in a convincing manner.

Team India were the last side to face Archer in a Test match, but they have never done so in English conditions. It may come as a bit of a surprise, but rest assured that the batting unit is stacked and full of confidence to counter the challenge.

Archer brings pace, bounce, and seam movement with him, and as long as India stick to the basics, and capitalise on his bad balls like they did with other England bowlers in Leeds, he should not be a plaguing concern. The visiting batters are well within their rights to be confident after their recent display, and treat Archer just like any other bowler.

#3 Conditions in Edgbaston hardly suit Archer's profile

Jofra Archer's pace and height mean that he can extract bounce from the surface, but with Edgbaston not offering any kind of slope or assistance in terms of extra carry, he will be made to toil hard on the relatively flat wicket.

According to Sky Cricket, the length to hit the top of the off-stump was less than the six metre mark, whereas that figure increases over 6.5 metre mark when it comes to Edgbaston, making it he second-highest after Lord's among venues in England. The lack of bounce compared to venues like Headingley or Trent Bridge, means that the returning pacer will have to hit the deck even harder to unsettle the Indian batters with bounce, which in turn results in more strain for the bowler.

Edgbaston has also been one of the most batting-friendly venues in England, in the recent past. The average first innings score at the venue, as far as the last five Tests are concerned, is more than 300. Not to mention England's record run chase of 378 at the venue against India in 2022.

The current England pace bowling unit is arguably a right fit for flat surfaces as they have Brydon Carse and Chris Woakes with the new ball, Ben Stokes offering control, while Josh Tongue can clean up the tail. If Archer is selected for the second Test, it might just be an upgrade in terms of reputation, and not in terms of prowess, for that particular set of conditions. He might be a far bigger threat at Lord's than at Edgbaston.