Leeds: Jofra Archer insisted his six-wicket haul on the opening day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley here Thursday proved there was more to his bowling than raw pace alone.
The build-up to this match had featured plenty of talk about the physical threat posed by England fast bowler Jofra Archer, who by hitting Steve Smith with a 92 mph bouncer in the drawn second Test at Lord’s had ruled the star Australia batsman out of the Headingley match with concussion.
But Jofra Archer deployed his fearsome short-ball sparingly during a superb return of six for 45 in 17.1 overs as Australia, 1-0 up in the five-match series, were dismissed for just 179 after England captain Joe Root won the toss in overcast conditions on his Yorkshire home ground.
“I don’t need to run in and bowl 90 mph every spell to get wickets,” said Archer after the end of the day’s play. “I’ve shown that today. There will be times in Test matches you have to focus on hitting your length. There will be times to ramp it up as well but you don’t have to depend on raw pace every innings,” Archer, the 24-year-old Barbados-born son of an English father, said.
“I bowled a few (short balls), obviously to let the batter know they are still there but this wasn’t a short-ball wicket, it wasn’t as hard as Lord’s. “So it was just get it on the full line and length and it got results today (Thursday),” added the pacer.
Archer arrived at Headingley rather closer to the toss than England would have liked but their new spearhead is a cool customer. “Actually I was early but there was a one-way street so I ended having to park in the car park behind the rugby field,” Archer informed.
“I’m pretty relaxed. I actually don’t think I need to bowl in the warm-up at all. I bowl a few balls before we go out and that’s enough for me,” added the England quick.
Australian opener David Warner who got his first half century of the series was all praise for Archer’s bowling. “That was incredible Test bowling,” said Warner. “It’s a bit like how (South Africa great) Dale Steyn with the new ball tried to just use the conditions and then sort of ramp it up when they need to. That was world-class bowling at its best.”
Meanwhile, Archer said Warner’s references to Steyn and former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc were ‘really flattering’ even if his fast bowling heroes as a child were Caribbean greats. “Michael Holding, Curtly Ambrose, Joel Garner,” said Archer. “Joel Garner went to my school and he often comes back.”
AFP
