Jofra Archer is ready to play in the third Test against the West Indies but there’s a question mark over Ben Stokes’ ability to bowl.
Joe Root said that Archer, who was dropped from the second Test after he breached the bio-secure bubble, had been fired up in the nets and in good spirits as England prepared for the decisive Test at Old Trafford, which starts on Friday.
Yet Stokes was struggling with stiffness after his heroic exertions in helping England win the second Test.
Root said that while Stokes would play, he might not be able to contribute much with the ball. He also hit out at the racist abuse that Archer has faced on social media, telling a news conference on Thursday he had seen some of it and it was “disgusting”.
Key pacer James Anderson reckons both he and Archer should play but insisted his fellow speedster should first figure if he is in the right frame of mind to play.
Stokes has been struggling with a quadriceps injury and will be assessed before Friday’s start of play. There was no chance of him missing the match, insisted Root.
“He spent much of the last Test on the field, but it does take a lot to keep him down ,” Root said.
West Indies captain Jason Holder remains confident of his team winning the Test series. “It’s just a matter of righting the wrongs and making sure we start well,” Holder said in a video conference.
- Match starts: 3.30pm IST
