England vs West Indies: Jofra Archer ‘has his smile back’ after being recalled for third Test

Bowler returns after being excluded for the second Test with series finely poised at 1-1

Ben Stokes and Joe Root said that Jofra Archer has “got his smile back” after the England team rallied around him this week in support of what has been one of the toughest points in his career, after receiving racist abuse following his coronavirus protocol breach.

Archer was recalled by England on Friday morning for the decisive third Test against the West Indies, with the series finely poised at 1-1 after matches in Southampton and Manchester.

The fast bowler was excluded from last week’s second Test after he went home while travelling from the Ageas Bowl to Old Trafford, where he came into contact with an individual who was not part of the ‘bio-bubble’ that players have been forced to live within in order for the series to go ahead.

Having apologised to both his teammates and the West Indies squad for putting them all at risk, Archer completed five days in isolation and passed two coronavirus tests before returning to the squad, but the Barbados-born 25-year-old found himself subjected to abuse that included racist insults following the incident.

Having expressed his uncertainty over his ability to play this week, the likes of Stokes and captain Joe Root expressed their support for him, with the decision taken by Friday morning that Archer was in the right mental state to bolster England’s bowling attack.

Archer was selected in place of batsman Zak Crawley, meaning the order shifted up to accommodate the Sussex bowler because of fears over Stokes’ leg injury that could prevent him from bowling in the third Test - though that did not stop last week’s man of the match from joking that he could offer some off-spin if required.

"The body has been better but we're in the situation where everyone had to throw everything they had at them,” Stokes added. “Yesterday I tested my quads and I was worried I wouldn't be able to offer everything I want to with the ball, certainly in the first innings. Hopefully it'll settle down and I'll be able to rock and roll some off-spin later in the Test."

As a result, England go into the third Test with a bowler-heavy line-up, with Archer and Stuart Broad also joined by the returning James Anderson and Chris Woakes, with Dom Bess the spinner.

"We've made a couple of changes, Zak unfortunately misses out and everyone moves up one. Sam Curran misses out with Jofra and Jimmy coming back in the team,” Root said.

Jofra Archer has been recalled for England's third Test against the West Indies (PA)

"We balance the side out as well we can and I feel we've actually got a very good, well balanced team. I'm not worried about (having one fewer batsman) at all. Woakesy as an all-rounder sort of replaces Ben as a like-for-like in many ways and the way we set up is very similar.

"Jofra is ready to play. Over the last couple of days he's got his smile back, he's bowled with real pace in the nets and he knows he's got the full support of the dressing room and the guys around him."

West Indies captain Jason Holder won the toss and asked England to bat first, having made the same decision en route to a 113-run defeat in the second Test.