Jofra Archer, England's fiery fast bowler, thinks that luck played a big role in India’s seven-wicket win during the first T20I at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Archer, who had his best outing in an England jersey since coming back from injury last year, put up solid numbers of 2/21 in four overs but couldn’t stop India from successfully chasing down a target of 132 runs.

“Looks like the conditions were a bit more in my favor compared to the other bowlers,” Archer mentioned after the match, as reported by Daily Mail.

“The other bowlers did well, but the batters had a lot of luck on their side. Several balls went up but didn’t land in anyone’s hands, and next time, they might all stick, and suddenly it’s 40/6.”

Archer’s initial spell gave England a flicker of hope, but India’s top order kept things steady. Looking back at England’s total of 132, Archer stood by his team’s performance: “You’ve got to give it a shot at the start. If you can get them three or four down early, teams usually play differently in the middle. The only way to find out is to try. We gave it a go, it didn’t pan out, so we’ll give it another shot next game.”

Archer discusses England's strategy

Even though the team lost, Archer's performance was a bright spot; in fact, during the early overs, captain Jos Buttler even took a position at short leg to try and rattle the batters.

Talking about this strategy, Archer said, “While they look good, they’re really just for show, meant to mess with the batter’s mind and add some flair.”

The 28-year-old fast bowler is also preparing for a challenging year ahead, as England is counting on his speed and bounce to reclaim the Ashes in Australia. Archer, who hasn’t played Test cricket since 2021, shared his plans for a slow return to the format later this year.

“Let’s focus on getting through this series first, and then we can figure out the rest later,” he mentioned, emphasizing his attention on the current T20I series before moving on to the Champions Trophy, IPL 2025, and the tough County Championship.

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