England

The fast bowler has endured a torrid time with injuries across the last three years and had not featured for England in any format since March 2021, before the white-ball series against the Proteas.

Archer managed just one wicket for 81 runs on his long-awaited return as England succumbed to a 27-run opening defeat on Friday in Bloemfontein.

The 27-year-old was rested as South Africa wrapped up the ODI series with a five-wicket win in the second encounter, but helped England avoid a 3-0 whitewash in the last clash.

He took 6-40, the third-best bowling figures for England in an ODI, as England cruised to a 59-run victory after Jos Buttler paved the way with a dominant 131 in the first innings.

"It is good being back. It has been a long road," Archer said after his maiden five-wicket haul in 50-over international cricket.

"This is a small tick but I want to see how I am in April, June, July and September.

"Being back after however many weeks, months it is kind of surreal. This is just the first series, there is loads of time to get the fine-tuning done."

A fearsome pace-bowling display reinvigorated memories of the 2019 Cricket World Cup victory and the Ashes series in the same year when Archer caused Australia problems with his aggressive style.

"He is like gold dust," former England captain Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports. "He is so valuable for English cricket and world cricket.

"What I took today, was not just his class and wicket-taking potential, but what I've missed is just the effortless grace he has."

Archer will head to the Indian Premier League to test his T20 credentials before returning to train for the upcoming Ashes series with Australia, which starts on June 16.

Former England captain Michael Atherton wants the star bowler to be managed carefully, though, with his previous injuries remaining a concern.

"Back and elbow are absolutely critical so there would have been some doubt there about whether he would get back," Atherton told Sky Sports.

"He's got some way to go yet to show he can do it across formats and then cope with an ever-demanding schedule but it was a wonderful day for him."

The problem forced Archer to miss the final three Tests of the four-match series with the Proteas.

In his absence, England overturned a 1-0 deficit, winning in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg to clinch the series 3-1.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday that Archer had returned home to focus on regaining fitness, the decision likely made with an eye on the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka in March.

Archer will be replaced in the squad by Saqib Mahmood, who - along with Olly Stone and Craig Overton - became one of the first recipients of a pace bowling development contract from the ECB on Wednesday.

The three-match T20I series starts on February 12 at Buffalo Park in East London. England will first contest a three-match ODI series, with the series opener taking place at Newlands on Tuesday.

Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan led the tourists' recovery after a poor start, with England setting a target of 347.

It appeared South Africa would once again respond – having produced a record chase in Bloemfontein – as Heinrich Klaasen hitting 80 from 62 balls.

However, Archer brought an end to his charge on his way to a maiden six-for in ODIs.

A woeful start for England saw Jason Roy (1), Ben Duckett (0) and Harry Brook (6) all dismissed by Lungi Ngidi inside the first six overs, leaving them 14-3.

The tourists recovered though, with Buttler (131) and Malan (118) sharing a stand of 232 for the fourth wicket. 

Wicketkeeper Klaasen caught Malan after a stray shot straight up in the air but Moeen Ali (41) helped steer England past the 300 mark, before he and Buttler fell in quick succession. 

South Africa's chase began well enough with an opening partnership of 49, but dangerous duo Temba Bavuma (35) and Rassie van der Dussen (5) were removed by Chris Woakes and Archer. 

Beuran Hendricks (52) pushed the hosts into three figures before he was bowled by Adil Rashid, while Aiden Markram hit 39 from 35 balls to strengthen the hosts' response, but a looped hit was caught comfortably by Moeen off Archer's delivery, who also claimed David Miller for 13.

Klaasen hit seven fours and two sixes as he and Wayne Parnell kept South Africa in the hunt, combining for 85 before Archer and Ducket combined to dismiss Klaasen.

Rashid forced Sisanda Magala (2) to edge through the Buttler before Archer dismissed Parnell (34) and Tabraiz Shamsi (1) to take the next step on his comeback from injury and hand England victory.

England's big stand

Buttler and Malan's partnership led England's revival, with a total of 232 representing the fourth-biggest stand for England in ODIs and helping to set the highest ever ODI total in Kimberley.

The pair hit 26 boundaries combined, compared to the nine from England's seven other batters.

Archer's arm

Having made his return after a near two-year absence earlier in the series, Archer returned to his brilliant best in some style to finish with figures of 6-40, the third-best men's ODI bowling figures for an England player ever.

The dismissal of Klaasen was the most crucial, with the 31-year-old providing South Africa with momentum that abruptly disappeared once he departed.

Elbow and back issues have kept Archer from playing almost entirely since his last appearance for England in the T20I series in India in March 2021.

The seamer's previous competitive game was in July 2021 when he played for Sussex against Kent in a T20 Blast encounter, with his only recent outing being for the England Lions in a warm-up game in South Africa in November.

Turning out for MI Cape Town against Paarl Royals in the SA20 on Tuesday, Archer took 3-27 from his four overs, which included a maiden and 12 dot balls.

The 27-year-old dismissed Wihan Lubbe with just his third delivery, before also claiming the wickets of David Miller and Ferisco Adams with successive balls in his third over.

Despite Archer's international team-mate Jos Buttler top-scoring with 51 from 42 balls for the Royals, MI Cape Town were able to secure an eight-wicket win thanks in the main to an unbeaten knock of 70 from Dewald Brevis.

England Test captain Ben Stokes tweeted earlier on Tuesday to say he was: "Buzzing to see @JofraArcher back on the field".

Managing director of England men's cricket Rob Key had previously indicated that Archer would play two games in the SA20, before coming into consideration for England's ODI series in South Africa, which starts on January 27 in Bloemfontein.

Having spent almost two years on the sidelines with elbow and back problems, Archer returned to international cricket in January for England's ODI series against South Africa.

Archer had bowling figures of 6-40 – the third-best for England in an ODI – in the last match of that series, while he has since stepped up his involvement with ODI and T20I appearances in England's ongoing tour of Bangladesh.  

The 27-year-old is desperate to be involved when England bid to regain the Ashes from Australia in June and July, though he says anything more than one outing would be a bonus.

"If I can play one game this summer, I'll be happy," Archer told reporters. "If I play more than one, that's just a bonus.

"Coming back and playing cricket for England again means I have already done what I wanted to do.

"I said 18 months ago I was going to be back. Now I'm back. Hopefully I have a long career, so it makes no sense doing too much too soon.

"We have got so much cricket to play – genuinely, playing for England you never stop. You're going 11 months a year, pretty much... There's a lot of cricket and I want to play a lot of cricket."

Archer made his Test debut during England's last home Ashes series, in which Australia retained the urn following a 2-2 draw, and he is planning to draw on that experience next time out.

"I've played in the Ashes already, so you know most of the things that come with it," Archer said. "The pressures, the media, the situations are not going to be anything unknown. 

"The only thing unknown at the moment now would be fitness and if you can actually get through a whole Test match.

"I don't have much expectation except to finish the game. That is the biggest part, to get through 20 [overs] in an innings, maybe 40 or 50 in a game. Obviously I want wickets, but getting overs in is more important."

Pace bowler Archer underwent surgery last week and, as per a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board released on Wednesday, is to undergo an intensive rehabilitation period before being assessed again in around a month.

The 26-year-old's absence is a blow to England ahead of a busy home schedule in all formats, with New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India all visiting for tours in the upcoming months.

However, Archer will only make his comeback once completely healthy, a decision made with his long-term future in mind as he prepares to be patient.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in October and November this year, with England then travelling Down Under the following month for the five-Test Ashes series.

"One thing I am determined about post-elbow operation is not to rush my comeback because my primary focus is to be playing for England in the T20 World Cup and Ashes later this year," Archer wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.

"Those are my targets. If I come back before then and manage to play in the home Test series against India – then fine, so be it. If I don't, I am quite prepared to sit out the summer.

"The way I am looking at things is that I would rather miss a few weeks of a year so that I have a few more years in my career.

"I just want to get this injury sorted once and for all and that's why I'm not looking that far ahead or at dates for a return to action — because if I don't get this right, I won't play any cricket. Period.

"I am not going to do myself any good by coming back before I'm fully fit, so I will take my time and do what is best for me and my life."

Archer, who had an operation on a hand injury earlier this year, attempted to make a return to action in domestic cricket for Sussex recently, only to suffer a further setback with his elbow during the County Championship fixture at Hove.

He has taken 42 wickets at an average of 31.04 in 13 Test appearances for Joe Root's side, while he is a key member of England's white-ball squads under captain Eoin Morgan.

England have Tests against New Zealand at Lord's and Edgbaston in June, with a five-match series in the long format against India beginning at Trent Bridge on August 4.

Several players who appeared in the Indian Premier League will not be involved against the Black Caps, while wicketkeeper Ben Foakes joined Archer and Ben Stokes on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury when slipping in the Surrey dressing room on Sunday.

There were questions raised about Archer's pace in the first Test against Pakistan, when he struggled to muster the ferocity that typified his entry into the international arena. 

England are expected to keep faith with Archer for the second match in the series, which begins at Southampton's Rose Bowl on Thursday. 

Captain Joe Root has been supportive, predicting England "will continue to see very special things" from Archer as long as he continues to learn from the ups and downs in his career. 

Archer would love to be bowling consistently at an intimidating speed, but he is more concerned with his overall development. 

"I cannot get away from the fact there is always attention towards the pace I am producing," Archer said in his Daily Mail column. 

"From my perspective, I know I can bowl one or two 90mph deliveries a spell even when not everything is clicking, but to do it every ball, everything has to be working perfectly in unison and you have to be in that perfect, competitive mind frame. 

"Not everything comes together all the time. People look back at my debut performance in the Ashes Test at Lord's last year and expect that kind of display everywhere, but it is unrealistic."

Archer appealed for "more appreciation" of the challenges of fast bowling, and England would not want to push him to strain his body if it meant the Sussex paceman taking any physical risks. 

The Barbados-born quick has 38 wickets in 10 Tests since making his debut against Australia in last year's Ashes, and with James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the twilight of their careers, England are hoping Archer proves an enduring and potent presence in their attack. 

"People will judge you how they want and there are a lot of opinions out there. But I am a 25-year-old fast bowler trying to develop my game and the opinions that matter most to me are the ones of my team-mates," Archer said. 

"As long as Joe Root and my England team-mates are fine, I really don't care what other people are thinking." 

He added that "as long as the people in and around this circle are understanding - and it 100 per cent seems like they are - I am very happy and in a good head space". 

England fast bowler Archer has not played any cricket since July 2021 after being sidelined by a stress fracture of his back.

The paceman has not seen action for his country for 19 months, having also been out due to a long-standing elbow problem.

Archer is now eyeing a return and will step up his recovery in a camp in the UAE from November 11 to 27.

Fellow quicks Saqib Mahmood and Brydon Carse will also continue their rehabilitation from injuries in the UAE.

Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence and Matthew Fisher are among the 15 players who will be in the Lions training group.

England will face the Lions in a three-day practice match, starting on November 23, ahead of a three-match Test series in Pakistan that starts at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on December 1.

Archer was ruled out of the ODI series due to a worsening elbow issue and travelled home to the United Kingdom.

The fast bowler has since had a scan and a consultant review, which has prompted the decision to have a procedure on his right hand, while he has also had a further injection for his right elbow.

"The procedure on Jofra's hand will take place on Monday 29 March so he can recover during the planned break following his elbow injection," a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) read on Saturday.

"Jofra suffered a cut to his hand while cleaning at his home in January shortly before flying to India to prepare for the Test series.

"The injury was managed by the ECB's medical team through the tour and it did not impact on his availability.

"Further investigation and a specialist opinion was sought upon his return to the UK and, in conjunction with the ECB medical panel, it has been decided that surgery is the best option to manage his injury in the longer term."

As well as dealing with Archer's absence, England have been without captain Eoin Morgan since the first ODI after sustaining his own hand injury.

But stand-in skipper Jos Buttler was still waiting on news of the fitness of Sam Billings, who missed the second ODI with a bruised collarbone, and Mark Wood, who was rested.

England lost their four-match Test series against India 3-1 and were then beaten in a Twenty20 International decider to go down 3-2.

Tied at 1-1 ahead of the third and final ODI, Buttler is hoping for better luck as he targets a third successive win as captain for the first time. He has five victories from seven matches so far.

"We want to win all the games we play," he said. "It's great to be in another final, as such. Obviously the T20s went to a decider and this series will do the same.

"They're great games to be involved in, we're all very much looking forward to it. It was an excellent performance [on Friday], so we take lots of confidence into the game on Sunday."

Friday saw England claim a six-wicket win thanks to a superb chase led by Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes.

Bairstow (124), who has now hit an England record 26 sixes against India, had 100-run stands with both fellow opener Jason Roy and Stokes, as the tourists had two century partnerships in the same ODI for the first time since the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Bairstow and Roy reached the hundred mark for the 13th time in ODIs, the most ever recorded by an England duo, while they have the highest average (61.6) of any opening partnership in the history of the format (20-plus innings).

Led by the pair, England have outscored India 148 to 80 in the powerplays in this series.

"They're right up there, aren't they? Everyone will have their opinions on who's the best, but those two have been fantastic," Buttler said.

"The way they play, the pressure their put on an opposition, and the consistency... the way they do that, the fashion they play, it's quite remarkable really.

"They've created some fantastic stands. I don't know the exact numbers, but I know they're pretty impressive. We're all delighted to have them at the top of the order.

"People talk about the numbers a lot of the time, but for us it's more about the fashion we play in, committing to that and the numbers will always look after themselves."

Stokes certainly plays in the same fashion, his rapid innings seeing 50 runs off the first 40 balls and 49 off the next 11.

Asked how the display ranked among the white-ball efforts of an all-rounder who has averaged 56.4 in ODIs since the start of 2017, Buttler had a cheery response.

"It was certainly pretty impressive, wasn't it? He's had a few," the captain said. "His World Cup final one was pretty good. I enjoyed that one."

The pace bowler underwent surgery on his right hand towards the end of March having suffered damage to a finger while cleaning a fish tank.

Archer had also been bothered by a persistent elbow issue during the tour of India earlier in 2021, forcing him to miss the three-match one-day series against Virat Kohli's side.

The 26-year-old is set to resume full training with English county Sussex with the intention of making a playing comeback within the next two weeks.

"Archer returned to bowling this week with higher intensity, and the ECB and Sussex medical teams will continue to monitor his progress,” a statement from the ECB read.

"Archer will now step up his training regime starting next week and will be in full training with Sussex. It is expected that he will return to cricket in the next fortnight if he can continue to bowl and prepare pain-free.

"The ECB will confirm which matches he is expected to play in due course."

The absence of Archer is a huge blow for Rajasthan Royals, particularly as the IPL franchise have already lost England all-rounder Ben Stokes for the entire tournament due to a broken finger.

Archer claimed 20 wickets at an average of 18.25 in the Twenty20 competition for the Royals last year, posting an impressive economy rate of 6.55 runs per over.

Rajasthan have won just once in their opening four outings in the current campaign as they bid to qualify for the play-offs for the first time since 2018.

Following a review by a consultant, the 26-year-old underwent an operation on Friday to try to resolve the long-standing issue that had already ruled him out of the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand.

Archer – who had an operation on a hand injury earlier this year – had attempted to make a return to action in domestic cricket for Sussex recently, only to suffer a further setback. He claimed figures of 2-29 and 1-14 against Kent but was unable to bowl during the final two days of the County Championship fixture at Hove.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has revealed he will undertake an "intensive rehabilitation period" before a further examination of the elbow, at which point further guidance will be offered over a potential comeback date.

"Archer will now commence an intensive rehabilitation period working with the ECB and Sussex medical teams," a statement from the ECB said.

"His progress will be reviewed by his consultant in approximately four weeks, at which point further guidance will be provided as to when he can return to bowling."

After facing New Zealand at Lord's and Edgbaston in June, England are to host Sri Lanka and Pakistan for limited-overs games, followed by a five-Test series against India, starting at Trent Bridge on August 4.

There is a Twenty20 World Cup to come later in the year, too, as well as an Ashes tour to Australia.

Archer has taken 42 wickets at an average of 31.04 in 13 Test appearances for Joe Root's side, while he is a key member of England's white-ball squads under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan.

Archer was ruled out of the recent ODI series defeat to India with an elbow injury and underwent an operation on his hand on Monday, repairing damage done when he was cleaning a fish tank in January.

The quick will miss the start of the Rajasthan Royals' Indian Premier League campaign as he recovers from the procedure.

"England pace bowler Jofra Archer underwent successful surgery to his right hand on Monday. A fragment of glass was removed during the operation to his middle finger on his right hand." an ECB statement said.
 
"He will now commence two weeks of rehabilitation. The consultant will review him before returning to training.

"Further update on his elbow injury will be provided once he has returned to bowling to assess the effectiveness of his recent injection.
 
"Archer suffered a cut to his hand while cleaning at his home in January shortly before flying to India to prepare for the Test series.

"The ECB's medical team managed the injury throughout the tour, and it did not impact on his availability."

The Royals start their IPL campaign against Punjab Kings on Monday April 12.

Archer is set to represent Mumbai Indians in the IPL, which culminates on May 28, with the first Test between England and Australia taking place at Edgbaston on June 16.

England have a Test scheduled against Ireland on June 1, but should Mumbai go far in the IPL, it is unlikely Archer would be available.

The pace bowler, who turns 28 on Saturday, has not played a Test match for England since a 10-wicket defeat to India in Ahmedabad in February 2021, with his last first-class game for Sussex being in May 2021 against Kent.

Elbow and back injuries kept him on the sidelines for 17 months, but he returned to white-ball cricket in January.

Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace believes England's plan is for Archer to be ready for the Ashes after the end of the IPL.

"I think all things being equal, he will go straight into the Ashes off the back of the IPL," Farbrace told BBC Radio Sussex.

"The England plan for Jofra is he'll go and play in the IPL.

"I think their plan is that between IPL games he'll then bowl some longer spells to get his overs up and make sure that he is match-ready.

"That's the nature of international franchise cricket these days. I know there'll be a lot of people saying 'he should play at least two four-day games to be ready for a Test match', but the preparation and the work that the medical teams do around these players is exceptional."

Archer dampened expectations of significant involvement against Australia in early March, telling reporters: "If I can play one [Test] this summer, I'll be happy. If I play more than one, that's just a bonus."

With a potentially busy schedule to come, Rajasthan Royals duo Archer and Stokes, along with Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Curran will get a well-earned break when England take on the Proteas in three 50-over fixtures in early December. 

Those games follow on from a trio of T20 internationals between the countries as part of a tour cleared to proceed by the South African government amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Jos Buttler has also been on duty at the IPL for the Royals yet the wicketkeeper-batsman – England's vice-captain in white-ball cricket - is set to be involved in both formats. 

Reece Topley is in the 20 and 50-over squads too, the left-arm paceman having featured in the one-day series against Ireland on home soil earlier this year, his first international appearance in over four years. 

There are also places for Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone and Olly Stone in a 15-man ODI party, along with Test captain Joe Root and fellow World Cup winner Chris Woakes. 

However, Tom Banton has been left out. The batsman is instead on a three-man reserve list alongside Jake Ball and Tom Helm. 

England's players and staff are to depart on November 16 and will play two intra-squad practice matches before the first T20 contest on November 27.

All games will be played behind closed doors as the tourists base themselves in a bio-secure bubble in Cape Town. Newlands will be one of the venues used, along with Boland Park in nearby Paarl. 

England Twenty20 squad

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.

England ODI squad

Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

Fielding coach Paul Collingwood revealed the trio were all in contention to replace the injured James Anderson in Port Elizabeth.

With the series tied at 1-1, the tourists will hope to build on their impressive 189-run victory in the second Test, with Archer, Wood and Woakes eyeing a spot in the line-up.

"They've an opportunity over the next two training sessions to prove to us they should be the one in the team," said Collingwood.

"It's actually really nice to be able to come into a Test being able to choose from players who are 100 per cent ready to go.

"Here at PE [Port Elizabeth] it's generally a slower pitch, so sometimes having that kind of X-factor can be great.

"Sunday's training session was one of the best we've had for a long time.

"We saw bowlers really running in against the batters. They were really making it difficult for them. If we can do that more often, then our education as a team will grow very strongly and very quickly."

Responding to suggestions that Archer had lost his way after bursting onto the scene with England last year, Collingwood jumped to the 24-year-old's defence.

"He's very early on in his international career," he said. "He hasn't bowled a lot with the Kookaburra ball, which requires a completely different skillset from the Dukes. 

"His main skill is bowling 90 miles per hour plus. We have enough bowlers in and around the county circuit who can bowl at 82 to 85 miles per hour and try to nip it around. 

"You want the likes of Wood and Archer to give you that X-factor.”

The third Test begins on Thursday.

Archer is part of England's white-ball squad touring the West Indies.

This is his first tour since he recovered from a stress fracture in his elbow, which kept him out of the 2023 Ashes series.

Although England were beaten by eight wickets on the DLS method in the first ODI against West Indies on Thursday, the series is about more than just winning for Archer.

"My body is in good stead. It’s only been one year of bowling properly as well," he told TNT Sports.

"Before you can play in an ODI, you have to be bowling [10 overs] in training to make sure your body can withstand the load.

"To be honest, I’ve not been doing anything more than [that]."

The 29-year-old returned to international cricket following his injury at the 2024 T20 World Cup and has since played in the home ODI series against Australia.

He needs just four wickets to reach 50 in ODIs, which would make him the 30th England player to hit that milestone in the format.

But he has not featured in a Test since facing India in Ahmedabad in 2021. The sight of him on England duty will likely raise questions about his potential future involvement in the longer format.

"The next phase is maybe for me to start thinking about Test cricket and doing some more loads, but for now, I’m quite happy, and the management are quite happy with everything that I’m doing," he said.

Here, the PA news agency looks at England’s century club and Stokes’ record to date.

Century club

James Anderson will hope to add to his national-record 184 Tests in Rajkot, while team-mate Joe Root ranks fourth on the list on 137 behind Stuart Broad (167) and Sir Alastair Cook (161).

Alec Stewart, Ian Bell, Graham Gooch, David Gower, Michael Atherton, Colin Cowdrey, Sir Geoff Boycott, Kevin Pietersen, Lord Ian Botham, Sir Andrew Strauss and Graham Thorpe are England’s other centurions. Barring injury, the remainder of the India series will lift Stokes alongside Botham on 102 Tests.

Cook is England’s record Test run-scorer with 12,472, with Root just over 1,000 behind as he keeps up his pursuit, while Anderson leads the wickets column on 695.

Of those among the group to have taken more than one Test wicket, only Stokes, Botham and Root have achieved the distinction of a higher average batting than bowling.

Botham averaged 33.55 for his 5,200 runs and 28.40 for his 383 wickets – the latter figure places him third on England’s all-time wickets list behind Anderson and Broad (604).

Stokes, with over 1,000 runs more than Botham at an average nearly three runs higher at 36.34, has a strong claim as England’s greatest batting all-rounder – Root averages 49.65 with the bat but a hefty 43.88 with his off-spin.

Three more wickets, to add to his 197 at 32.07, will see Stokes join the illustrious club of 16 all-rounders to date with 3,000 runs and 200 wickets in Tests.

Broad, Botham, Andrew Flintoff and Moeen Ali have achieved that feat for England – Stokes has a better batting average than any of the quartet and will rank third in bowling average.

Setting the tone

Only 11 men have made a higher Test score for England than Stokes’ 258 against South Africa in 2016, with former captain Cook having done so on two occasions.

Coming in 198 balls at a strike rate of 130 with 30 fours and 11 sixes, it was the fastest score of 250-plus in Test history and England’s fastest double century – the next-highest England Test score recorded at over a run a ball is Zak Crawley’s 189 off 182 in last summer’s Ashes.

Stokes has 13 Test centuries in all, with four five-wicket hauls including a best of six for 22 against the West Indies in 2017.

As captain he has presided over 14 wins, six defeats and only one draw as he and coach Brendon McCullum have implemented a new aggressive style of play.

England have successfully chased five fourth-inning targets over 250 in that time, including a national-record 378 against India at Edgbaston in 2022 and three of their top eight chases of all time.

Somewhat surprisingly, that 258 is one of only two Stokes centuries at over a run a ball – he made 101 off 92 against New Zealand in 2015.

Mitchell Starc bowled Rory Burns with the very first ball in Brisbane on Wednesday and the hosts went on to skittle England out for just 147 before rain and bad light stopped play.

Cummins, who replaced Tim Paine as captain following the wicketkeeper's resignation last month in the wake of a lewd texting scandal, led the way for Australia, taking 5-38.

The 28-year-old became the second pace bowler to take five wickets in a men's Test innings as captain of Australia, after George Giffen (three occasions in December 1894, February 1895 and January 1895), and has taken 133 wickets in the longest format since the start of 2018, more than any other player.

England skipper Joe Root won the toss and chose to bat on a green pitch in Queensland, and though Cummins acknowledged he would likely have made the same decision, he had no regrets over losing the coin flip as he looked back on a wonderful day for Australia.

"Pretty crazy... it's all gone to plan so far," Cummins told BT Sport.

"Really proud of all the guys. I was probably going to have a bat. I genuinely wasn't upset and we made the most of it.

"[The pitch] is a little bit soft. You're always in the game on the morning of day one. It got a little bit quicker after lunch but the ball got a little bit softer. It's a pretty standard Gabba wicket."

Asked to comment on his five-for, Cummins added: "The body felt decent. I've bowled better before and haven't got as many rewards. I kept it tight and got the ball up there."

Starc's 2-35 and Josh Hazlewood's 2-42 were added to by a first Test wicket for Cameron Green (1-6) as England were cast aside with ease - only four of the tourists' side making it into double figures.

The selection of opening bowler Starc had come under some scrutiny, but he responded in perfect fashion when his first delivery crashed into Burns' leg stump.

It is only the second time in Ashes history that a batsman has been dismissed with the first ball of the first Test.

"Really happy for him, he really held the attack together," Cummins said of Starc.

Australia have already retained the Ashes with two Tests to spare, having established an unassailable 3-0 lead, dominating the opening three matches in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne.

Root has been one of the only England batters to perform well, going on to become the leading run-scorer as the nation's Test captain, a role he has fulfilled since 2017.

He will lead England out for a record 60th time in the fourth Test in Sydney, overtaking Alastair Cook's tally of 59, while 26 per cent of all the team's runs were scored by Root in 2021, with the Yorkshireman plundering 1,708 in total.

However, England have averaged just 187.5 with the bat in six innings, failing to score more than 300 in any of the first three Tests down under, and Root's leadership abilities have come under scrutiny.

But after Chris Woakes backed the 31-year-old to stay on, Gooch has also offered his support to Root, but suggested the skipper may need to take a more realistic view on his team's scenario.

"I like Joe a lot. He's a brilliant player; a world-class player. He's not a bad captain; I don't think it’s his fault," Gooch, who scored 8,900 Test runs for England between 1975 and 1995, told Stats Perform.

"But to keep saying we’re close to Australia, that we can feel it coming, and one good session or one good day is going to turn it around. I don't think that’s going to wash really. We've been comprehensively beaten.

"I think it's a bit galling for us ex-pros and captains to hear."

Gooch, fourth on the all-time list for runs scored as England's Test captain, also paid tribute to the victorious Australia, whose strong displays he feels have played a major part in the tourists' slump.

Asked whether he believed the outcome of the Series was down to the hosts' performances or a poor showing by England, he said: "I think it's a bit of both.

"I think you've got Australia doing what they do best. They're aggressive, they're ruthless. If they smell blood, they capitalise on it.

"It's not because England have been so poor; they have not allowed England to be successful."

The pair's omission for the opening match raised eyebrows and came under further scrutiny after the tourists slumped to a nine-wicket loss as Australia seized the upper hand in Brisbane.

But both are in contention as England seek to level the series in the first of two day-night Tests, with the final selection to be confirmed at the toss on Thursday.

Anderson is his country's leading wicket-taker in Tests with 632, while Broad – who is one shy of 150 Test caps – has 524.

Spinner Jack Leach, who endured a torrid outing as he gave up 102 runs in 13 overs at the Gabba, retains his place in the squad, while seamer Mark Wood has been rested.

Any lingering fears over the fitness of Ben Stokes, who jarred his knee in the field during the opening Test, appear to have been put to rest with his inclusion.

Joe Root's side face a tough task, with Australia boasting a 100 per cent record in day-night Tests.

England squad: Joe Root, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Haseeb Hameed, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.