England captain Joe Root was all praise for debutant pacer Jofra Archer after the drawn second Ashes Test at Lord’s. Archer took five wickets across the two innings and arguably bowled one of the most terrifying spells in recent years.
“He’s come in and made a massive impact,” Root said after the fifth day’s play on Sunday.
“He’s added a different dynamic to our bowling group and has given Australia something different to think about.”
Archer, who duly impressed in the recently concluded World Cup, played a pivotal role in England’s win at the quadrennial event, bowling the Super Over against New Zealand in the final. The bowler with his extra pace and bounce has been a threat to the batsmen around the world. As a result, he was included in the squad for the Ashes.
Archer was benched in the first Test but with James Anderson being ruled out of the second Test with an injury, Archer finally made his debut in the longest format of the game.
“It’s pleasing to see someone come in on Test debut, shake up things and live up to the hype – even some of the hype he put on himself,” said Root.
“It makes for a very interesting last three games. He makes things happen with such a unique action and natural pace, which is always in the game on any surface. That with the skill of the others, makes for a tasty combo.
“Things can change very quickly in sport. At the start of the week we wanted a big response and we have definitely done that. It felt like we put them under huge pressure. It shows how much we’re in this series.”
(With inputs from IANS)