SAM MORSHEAD AT LORD'S: Archer knows all too well about his Jofradamus nickname - a reputation for cricketing soothsaying born out of hundreds of years-old posts which, when viewed at certain angles, appear to predict the future
Jofra Archer is playing up for the crowd, and that is no bad thing.
A little after 11am on Monday morning, fully two days before the scheduled start of the second Ashes Test - which it just so happens will be his red-ball debut for England - the seamer mischievously opened Twitter.
“Would love to get on the honours board,” he wrote. Send tweet.
Archer knows all too well about his Jofradamus nickname - a reputation for cricketing soothsaying born out of hundreds of years-old posts which, when viewed at certain angles, appear to predict the future.
And this short message, eight words and a wide-eyes emoji, went to prove it.
He knows people trawl his feed to find commentary on the present. He knows that, in the event of him taking five-for at Lord’s this week, they will ‘stumble’ across that tweet. He knows that they will be entertained.
The remarkable thing about Archer, however, is that he did not post in hope, he did so in expectation.
Jofra Archer is in line for his Test debut
It is brazen self-confidence, easily mistaken for arrogance but not to be confused - the same sort of belief that you need to bowl a super over in a World Cup final, or prove yourself as a relative unknown in the harsh environs of franchise T20.
Archer’s route to Test cricket has been a path rarely travelled, but now he is here. And boy is it going to be fun.
On Tuesday, Joe Root was asked whether Archer would be the reason England fought back from behind to win the Ashes.
“If you ask him, he’ll definitely say yes,” the captain said.
“That’s what you want - young guys coming in full of confidence, belief in their own ability and someone that’s definitely not going to shy away from any challenge. It’s great to have characters like that in the dressing room.”
Character is of course important, but Root will be even more pleased to be able to call on Archer’s skills with the red ball in hand at Lord’s this week.
With Jimmy Anderson nursing a calf injury, Mark Wood ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and Olly Stone struggling with a back problem, England have been stripped of their premier swing bowler and two genuine pace options.
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Archer offers an alternative to all three. And more. A man capable of moving the ball in and out at 90mph-plus.
“It’s very exciting to stand at slip to,” Root said.
“He’s a very skillful young guy, he can swing the ball both ways, he’s got a good bouncer and bowls at good pace consistently. I’m sure he’ll cause problems on most surfaces and hopefully he can exploit this one.
“He’s proven throughout the World Cup - coming in and being a part of that squad right at the last minute and all the pressures that held - he doesn’t want to shy away from stuff like that. If anything it will motivate him. When he gets his chance he’ll be desperate to prove to everyone how good he is.”
A primary duty for Archer on his first appearance for England will be bringing down Steve Smith.
The Australian batsman hit twin centuries at Edgbaston in an extraordinary return to the Test arena, defying the home side at every turn.
“Steve’s got to start again this week,” Root said.
Can England bring down Steve Smith?
“I feel like we created a lot of close chances last time, especially in the first innings when that ball was moving around.
“We’ve got to make sure we stick with our plans a little bit longer, trust that they’re going to work and be nice and patient.”
The pitch may or may not work in England’s favour. Root was unhappy with what was provided by the Lord’s groundstaff for the Ireland Test three weeks ago - the skipper went so far as to call it substandard after the game - but he accepts that freak weather contributed to the condition of the playing surface.
“I’m expecting it to be better,” he said.
“We’ve had some good Test matches here in the past. They’re not going to get it right all the time, and there were quite extreme conditions with a lot of sun and extra heat which you don’t normally expect.
“They had their own challenges and I’m sure they’ve worked extremely hard to produce a brilliant wicket this time around, and hopefully there’s a bit there for everyone.”
Regardless of the pitch, regardless of the opposition, regardless of what anyone thinks - the occasion is made for Archer. It’s time for England’s newest Test cap to realise his own predictions.
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