England star Jofra Archer delivers early wicket and 'X-factor' on long-awaited test return

LONDON (AP) — England pace bowler Jofra Archer made an immediate impact in his first test match in 4 1/2 years, taking a wicket off his third ball to deliver on his “X-factor” billing at Lord's on Friday.

There was a buzz around a packed crowd at the home of cricket on Friday when Archer took the ball for the second over of India's innings in the third test.

Off Archer's second delivery, India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal played and missed and, off the next one, he edged the Barbados-born quick to Harry Brook at second slip. Archer whirled away to square leg and was mobbed by his England teammates and looked emotional.

“The noise, the pure joy that everyone has seeing him back in whites. Everyone is genuinely excited to see him play for England again in test cricket,” England batter Joe Root said.

Archer was bowling as fast as 93 mph (150 kph), a reminder of his worth to England after so many years away because of injuries.

He exploded onto the international scene in 2019 — soon after switching nationality — in playing a starring role in England’s victory over New Zealand in the 50-over Cricket World Cup final. He has been blighted by injuries since, chiefly because of nagging issues with his right elbow for which he has undergone two operations.

Archer's most recent test appearance for his adopted country was against India in Ahmedabad in February 2021. This is his first home test since August 2020.

Archer was out for 4 when he batted earlier Friday, but made a bigger splash with the ball in his hand. His first over was a wicket maiden and he finished the day with figures of 1-22 off 10 overs, having been used by captain Ben Stokes for two five-over bursts.

Root described Archer as an “X-factor” player who offered England “something different.”

“We turn to him a bit like India turn to (Jasprit) Bumrah, really,” Root said. "They are obviously at very different stages of their career and are different players

“But it’s great to see him being so impactful and keeping his pace up throughout his spells as well.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England's Jofra Archer bowls during the third cricket test match between England and India at Lord's cricket ground in London, Friday, July 11, 2025. (Bradley Collyer/PA via AP)

England's Jofra Archer bowls a delivery during the third cricket test match between England and India at Lord's cricket ground in London, Friday, July 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Pelham)

FILE - England's Jofra Archer walks onto the field before the start of play on day two of the second cricket test match between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, England, Thursday, July 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell, File)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday fired off another warning to the government of Cuba as the close ally of Venezuela braces for potential widespread unrest after Nicolás Maduro was deposed as Venezuela's leader.

Cuba, a major beneficiary of Venezuelan oil, has now been cut off from those shipments as U.S. forces continue to seize tankers in an effort to control the production, refining and global distribution of the country's oil products.

Trump said on social media that Cuba long lived off Venezuelan oil and money and had offered security in return, “BUT NOT ANYMORE!”

“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA - ZERO!” Trump said in the post as he spent the weekend at his home in southern Florida. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” He did not explain what kind of deal.

The Cuban government said 32 of its military personnel were killed during the American operation last weekend that captured Maduro. The personnel from Cuba’s two main security agencies were in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, as part of an agreement between Cuba and Venezuela.

“Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years,” Trump said Sunday. “Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will.”

Trump also responded to another account’s social media post predicting that his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, will be president of Cuba: “Sounds good to me!” Trump said.

Trump and top administration officials have taken an increasingly aggressive tone toward Cuba, which had been kept economically afloat by Venezuela. Long before Maduro's capture, severe blackouts were sidelining life in Cuba, where people endured long lines at gas stations and supermarkets amid the island’s worst economic crisis in decades.

Trump has said previously that the Cuban economy, battered by years of a U.S. embargo, would slide further with the ouster of Maduro.

“It’s going down,” Trump said of Cuba. “It’s going down for the count.”

A person watches the oil tanker Ocean Mariner, Monrovia, arrive to the bay in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

President Donald Trump attends a meeting with oil executives in the East Room of the White House, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)