WE ARE NO MORE MR NICE GUYS

JOFRA ARGHER admitted England had to stop being “too nice” to ensure their nail-biting thirdTest against India at Lord’s ended in victory.

- By Mike Walters

His outing in the 22-run win ended a four-and-a-half-year wait to resume his international red-ball career, during which time he has battled significant fitness setbacks including stress fractures of the elbow and lower back.

Archer took five wickets and bowled at speeds of up to 94mph to lend the attack a new dimension.

Two of the defining images from another gripping contest will stay with the 30-year-old.

One was Archer’s joyous celebration after dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal with the third ball of his comeback.

And loose cannon Rishabh Pant’s cartwheeling off-stump, as India’s fourth-innings run chase ran into a turbocharged free spirit, was decorated by the conquering bowler’s sendoff.

Archer revealed he and his teammates made a conscious decision to bite back after India resorted to in-your-face confrontation.