Jofra Archer’s contribution in the just concluded drawn Test at Lord’s goes beyond figures. On the face of it his match stats of five for 91 from 44 overs would tempt anyone who had not seen the match into labeling him as promising youngster. But for those who saw the 24-year-old Barbados born debutant bowl it was something that they will never forget. And for those who had to face his fiery thunderbolts it must have been a frightening experience.
Archer was hurtling them down constantly at over 90 mph even getting up to 95 and 96 mph and the Aussie batsmen had to bring all their skill, technique and battling temperament to cope with this continuous barrage. Not all were successful and most of them if not succumbing to his lethal deliveries were seen bobbing and ducking their way out of trouble. The blows that even someone in such sublime touch as Steve Smith received – first on his forearm and then on his neck – will no doubt cause tremors in the Aussie ranks and they will have to go through a mental metamorphosis if they are to shake off the nightmares of those deliveries. As if all this was not enough he struck Magnus Labuschagne flush on the grille of his helmet on the final day as Australia battled to save the Test.
Ben Stokes in describing Archer’s performance as “frightening’’ hit the nail on the head. “It was incredible to watch and we are lucky he is in our team’’ said the England all-rounder. Indeed the scars and psychological damage that Archer would have caused in the Aussie ranks will perhaps be known in the third Test which commences on Thursday. One recalls the similar psychological damage that Mitchell Johnson caused among the England batsmen during the Ashes series in 2013-14 with the left arm paceman finishing with 37 wickets.
If Smith does not recover in time for the third Test the Aussies will find it that much more difficult to hold on to their lead. They might be one up in the five-match series but after the dramatic events at Lord’s it is clear that the initiative has shifted. They have problems with the top order batting symbolized by David Warner’s scores of 2,8,3 and 5. His opening partner Cameron Bancroft with 44 runs from four innings is not faring much better and the experienced Usman Khawaja’s top score after four innings is 40. Even in bowling they clearly miss a fifth bowler.
Yes, sometimes the presence of one dynamic player can work wonders for a team and even though there were others who contributed to England’s much improved performance after the first Test defeat – headed by man of the match Ben Stokes – there is little doubt that it is Archer who has emerged as the key figure for the remainder of the series. One just cannot wait for the third Test to commence.