Having Archer back in the pace armoury would be a massive boost for England in the midst of a seven-month period that sees them take on their two biggest rivals over 10 eagerly-anticipated games.

“To Jim’s credit, he kept saying every time he sat on her that she had a lot of speed and his first words to me having got off her at Newmarket were ‘she’d have killed them over a mile’.

But the Durham quick says he is back bowling in the nets and harbours hopes he could return in the final Test against Shubman Gill’s India, which is set to begin on July 31 at the Kia Oval.