[Watch]: Jofra Archer bowls his first over on his return from injury for Sussex 2nd XI
England fast bowler Jofra Archer returned to competitive cricket on Tuesday following his hand surgery, turning out for Sussex second XI against Surrey second XI in Brighton.
Jofra Archer underwent successful surgery to remove glass from his finger back in March. The piece of glass got lodged in his finger when was cleaning his fish tank in the bathroom. In the second week of April, Jofra Archer resumed light training.
ESPNCricinfo on Wednesday tweeted a video of Jofra Archer’s first over on his return to cricket following his recent injury woes. The clip was tweeted with the caption:
“Jofra Archer bowls his first over on his return from injury for @SussexCCC 2nd XI.”
Jofra Archer looked in reasonable shape on his return. He looked in good rhythm as he approached the crease and even surprised the batsmen with his pace on a couple of deliveries.
Earlier on Tuesday, Jofra Archer scored an impressive 35 off 46 balls with the bat, smashing three fours and two sixes against the Surrey second XI.
The 26-year-old had played in all five of England's T20I matches against India recently. However, ahead of the ODIs, it was revealed that the pacer would be unavailable for the 50-over matches as well as IPL 2021 owing to his growing injury concerns.
Jofra Archer was the star performer with the ball for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020. He claimed 20 wickets and also scored 113 runs with the bat. For his efforts, Jofra Archer was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
How Jofra Archer suffered a freak finger injury
The freak finger injury occurred at Jofra Archer’s home in Hove in January. The pace bowler dropped the tropical fish tank in his bathroom, suffering a cut on his right middle finger. He later had to undergo finger surgery to remove the glass piece.
Ashley Giles, England's director of cricket, had said on BBC's Tuffers and Vaughan show about Jofra Archer’s bizarre injury:
"They've operated and I think they found a small fragment of glass still in attendance. It obviously healed but there was part of the fish tank still in his finger. So, it was the right thing to do. We've got a clear window to do it as well. We wish him the best for his recovery but it's true, it's not a conspiracy."
Jofra Archer has played 13 Tests, 17 ODIs and 12 T20Is for England. He was part of England’s 2019 World Cup-winning squad.