Star England pacer absent from training session at Edgbaston due to family emergency ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test: Reports

England speedster Jofra Archer reportedly missed the training session at Edgbaston, Birmingham ahead of the second Test against Team India. According to Sky Sports, the Sussex bowler missed the sessions due to a family emergency but is expected to join the squad on Tuesday, July 1, ahead of the second Test on Wednesday.

Archer was in line to play his first Test since 2021, having suffered with a spate of injuries but England have announced an unchanged XI. The right-arm speedster warmed up for the Edgbaston Test by sending down 18 overs for Sussex against Durham in the County Championship Division 1 match and picked up one wicket. Following that, he was named in the squad for the second Test.

The 30-year-old enjoyed a memorable debut series when he faced Australia in the 2019 Ashes at home. He finished that five-Test series as the third-highest wicket-taker with 22 wickets in eight innings at 20.27 with a best of 6/45 at Headingley.

"To see him back will be brilliant" - Robert Key on Jofra Archer ahead of England's second Test against India

Robert Key. (Image Credits: Getty)

England men's cricket team's managing director Robert Key acknowledged that it had been a long road for Archer and expected him to play at least one of the next two Tests. Key said at Rothesay media event in London, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:

"To see him back will be brilliant. He's an unbelievable talent, and it's been such a long road. For two years now, [we've] mapped it out: from T20s and four-over spells, into 50-over cricket to build up his robustness, to now. He has been doing so much work in the lead-up - even when he's not playing - to building up that resilience to being able to play, because he's a serious talent. He will be fit and available for both [Tests]. Whether he could play both, we'll find that out afterwards, if he did play at Edgbaston."

England already hold a 1-0 lead after winning in Leeds by five wickets.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava