The second Ashes series Test ended in a draw at Lord’s on Sunday, but not before England fast bowler Jofra Archer left another near indelible impact on the longest format.
The Barbados-born Archer qualified to play for England earlier this year. Having played a starring role in the 2019 World Cup, he was pushed into the Test XI – and relished a telling debut.
Archer took five wickets across a fixture limited by characteristic London rain. His first foray into Test cricket, though, will be remembered for speeds of up to 96 miles (155 kilometres) per hour – and the fierce bouncers that felled batsmen Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.
Saturday’s blow ruled Smith out of the final day with a concussion, which saw Labuschagne introduced as Test cricket’s first formal substitute. The South African-born Labuschagne batted bravely for a steely half-century, ensuring Sunday’s early dismissals of openers David Warner and Cameron Bancroft and middle-order kingpin Usman Khawaja weren’t entirely costly.
Having declared the second innings on 258 for five, after all-rounder Ben Stokes struck a solid century, England’s attempt to bowl out Australia inside 50 overs was thwarted by Labuschagne. He dug deep alongside the left-handed Travis Head, who later shepherded some of the lower order to the draw despite the threat posed by spinner Jack Leach. Leach exploited the rough outside the left-handers’ off-stump well to momentarily alarm Australia.
The draw was the 50th at Lord’s in 139 Tests – and arguably the most entertaining despite day one’s washout. The outcome has left the Australians with a one-nil lead in the five-match series, after Smith struck twin tons in the first at Edgbaston in Birmingham to seal a 251-run triumph.
The third Test will start at Leeds in Headingley on Thursday. Smith’s participation in this match is in doubt.
The possible absence of Smith is not Australia’s only concern. Like England’s Jason Roy, Warner is struggling to convert a fine stretch of form at limited-overs level into success in Test cricket. Warner has managed a mere 18 runs in four innings in the series, so far. Roy has 40 to show for four. Warner also dropped three catches to Roy’s one.
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