Advertisement

Jofra Archer faces Wednesday fitness test as England get excited for double rapid pace duo with Mark Wood

Pace pair: England would love to get Jofra Archer and Mark Wood in the same Test XI - Getty Images Europe
Pace pair: England would love to get Jofra Archer and Mark Wood in the same Test XI - Getty Images Europe

Jofra Archer will have to prove his fitness in the nets at the Wanderers on Wednesday to give England the tantalising prospect of pairing him with Mark Wood for the first time.

Archer has bowled on the outfield throughout this Test and is making progress with his right elbow injury but he will have to bowl at full pace in the nets to be picked for the final Test of the series, which currently stands 2-1 in England's favour.

Wood is judged on a match-by-match basis and went through a higher than usual workload for him during his comeback Test in Port Elizabeth. England will monitor how he recovers from his first Test match for nearly a year.

Root answered “hopefully” when asked if Archer will be fit for the Wanderers. “It would be great to see him back firing and at his best. Again we have to make sure we get there and see where he is at. It was nice to see him bowling this morning but we have a couple more days to make sure he is fully fit and ready to go then we will have a look at the best formula on that wicket," said Root.

"If Jofra is fit it’s a good headache to have. If not he has got to make sure he looks after himself and does all the things he can to get himself right as quickly as possible.”

England bowler Jofra Archer chats with physio Craig de Wweymarn and Doctor Anita Biswas - Credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images
Witness the fitness: England bowler Jofra Archer chats with physio Craig de Weymarn and Doctor Anita Biswas Credit: Stu Forster/Getty Images

It is South Africa who fly to Johannesburg with problems piling up. Faf Du Plessis vowed to continue as captain after the defeat in Port Elizabeth but admitted the Wanderers could be his last Test appearance at home. South Africa only have two more Tests this year, in the West Indies in July, and Du Plessis has said he will carry on playing until the Twenty20 World Cup in October. He is expected to retire after that tournament.

“After the T20World Cup, I will reassess where I am. But Test cricket is the format that takes the most out of you, takes the most away from home and also, if I am brutally honest with myself, at the moment white ball cricket is where I am most successful,” he said.

“It’s just about trying to be the strongest leader that I can be for the team. For now, that’s committing to this series. The worst thing a leader can do is pull the plug mid-series and say ‘sorry boys, I am out. I’ve had enough’. You have to stick through the tough times as well.”

South Africa have called up four players for the final Test. Kagiso Rabada is suspended and one of left-arm seam bowler Beuran Hendricks, and all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo, will take his place.  Batsmen Temba Bavuma and Keegan Petersen have been added to the squad with Bavuma expected to replace Zubayr Hamza.

SA squad: Faf du Plessis (captain), Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Zubayr Hamza, Beuran Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Pieter Malan, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Keegan Petersen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Dwaine Pretorius, Rassie van der Dussen.