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English World Cup hero Jofra Archer compared to Jonah Lomu after Ashes debut - 'I've never seen anything like this'

August 20, 2019
Jonah Lomu and Jofra Archer.

Rookie English pace bowler Jofra Archer has drawn so hefty praise for his blazing Ashes debut, being compared to the late All Blacks great Jonah Lomu.

The 24-year-old claimed five wickets in his first Test for England as Australia managed to claw their way to a draw at Lord's. 

But England's turnaround performance from the opening Test - where they lost by 251 runs - has been related to Archer's aggressive bowling attack.

Archer used short-pitched bowling to keep the Australians on edge, with an unfortunate side effect being top batsman Steve Smith felled by a bouncer to the neck in the first innings.

Respected cricket writer Andrew Miller applauded Archer for his display though, saying in an ESPN CricInfo column  that watching the rookie was like seeing a 20-year-old Lomu destroying teams at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

"Do you remember where you were when Jonah Lomu trampled over Mike Catt in the 1995 Rugby World Cup semifinal? Do you remember how he gathered the ball almost with his back to play, and seemed to amble down the left wing, with the pace of a sprinter but the momentum of a juggernaut, keeping his balance as Will Carling attempted a tap-tackle, before spring-boarding off Catt's chest to seal the most iconic try of his career?" Miller wrote.

"Do you remember that he was 20-years-old back then, a freak of nature with the height of a lock forward, the bulk of a prop and the speed of a leopard, and do you remember how he'd been an open secret all World Cup long ... quietly devastating in the group stages, but knowingly holding back an extra gear for the tournament's sharp end?

"And do you remember thinking, 'Jesus Christ, I've never seen anything like this in my life'?

"This is how it has felt to watch Jofra Archer in the past 24 hours."

Lomu rocketed to international fame for his speed and size while playing 63 Tests for the All Blacks before his career was cut short by kidney disease, leading to his premature death in 2015 aged just 40.

Archer's rise to English cricketing fame has come just as quickly after making his international debut earlier this year in an ODI against Ireland in May.

He then went on to play a starring role for England at the Cricket World Cup and bowled the super over in the final against the Black Caps which saw them claim their first world title.

Selectors turned heads when Archer was then left out of the first Ashes Test but, due to an injury to James Anderson, he was given his Test debut at Lord's.

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