An Australian fine jeweller has estimated that Jofra Archer's gold chain could be worth around A$80,000.

Archer has struggled so far during the Ashes series to take wickets, having taken one in Brisbane and two in Perth. 

His form so far Down Under prompted Aussie great Ryan Harris to question whether the England star should remove his necklace to help him bowl faster. Harris also suggested that Archer may be lacking in some match readiness after the pace bowler returned to Test cricket in July following a four-year absence due to injury. 

While the 30-year-old England quick starred alongside Joe Root to amass his highest runs tally in Test cricket at The Gabba (38), Archer had bowled slower than expected during Australia's first innings. 

With the game quickly slipping through England's fingers, he then came out to reach speeds of over 140km/h during Australia's second spell at the crease. 

That was noted by stand-in Aussie skipper Steve Smith, who hit Archer with a brutal sledge after swiping the England star for a six during the dying embers of the match.

'You only play those shots when there's not much on the score, mate,' Archer was heard saying to Smith on the stump mic, as things got frosty between the two players.

'[You only] bowl fast when there's nothing going on, champion,' Smith responded.

After the match, former Aussie fast bowler, Harris, delivered his verdict on Archer's form.

'If he takes it off, he might be able to bowl quicker,' Harris said to SEN Radio, speaking on Archer's chain. 'We all know you've got a bit of money, mate – take it off, will ya?

'He came out with 60 runs to go and pulled the handbrake off which, from everyone's point of view, was so disappointing.

'But what we also have to think about is this bloke hasn't played any red-ball cricket, Test cricket, back-to-back cricket for a number of years.

'Any cricket he has played has been four-over stuff, or the odd one-dayer,' Harris continued.

'His body is wrecked – we know that. He's got a bad elbow. It's bloody hard to bowl fast, and you have got to practise it, and do a lot of it.'

After a series of back and elbow injuries that prevented him from playing Test cricket for four years, Archer bounced back with a bang during England's summer series against India, taking five wickets at Lord's and another four at Old Trafford.

But the England star has defiantly insisted that his body can 'hold up to red-ball cricket.'

However, Rahme, disagrees with Harris, telling Yahoo Sport Australia: 'From the colour of it, it's 18-carat gold, which is a good thing because gold has doubled in value in the last 18 months.

'It looks hollow the way it bounces, so it maybe weighs around 150 grams, so I'd say it's worth around $80,000. It's not the sort of thing you'd leave lying around a dressing-room and it's no surprise he keeps that thing close to him. He'd be making good use of the hotel safe.

'But I don't think taking it off would necessarily improve his bowling. If anything, it's probably more distracting to the batsman as it doesn't look so solid and probably jingles a bit.'

In fact, Archer is understood to have once been given a bespoke gold chain by Stratford-upon-Avon-based jewellers, Pragnell, during the 2019 Ashes series, with the goldsmiths adding the incentive that they would add a ruby to the chain every time he took a wicket against Australia. Archer took 22 across four Tests during that series.

Having now gone 2-0 down in the Ashes, Ben Stokes has called upon his players to 'fight' hard against Australia, as they look to claim victory in Adelaide.

Ahead of the third Test, which begins on Wednesday, the tourists have made one change to the team beaten by eight wickets at the Gabba in the second Test to slip 2-0 behind in the five-match series, with Josh Tongue recalled in place of Gus Atkinson.

That meant there was no place for specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir, despite the match being played on a pitch expected to suit slow bowlers.

Stokes said 'proper meaningful conversations' have taken place over how to bounce back from successive losses.

'I've done all the talking over the last two days that I needed to,' he said. 'All that stuff´s done now, so it´s about what gets seen out on the field in Adelaide this week.

'It´s just about trying to fight in every situation that you find yourself in, understanding the situation and what you feel is required for your team. Yeah, just look at your opposition every single time and show a bit of dog. That´s fight to me. You´re giving yourself the best possible chance if you´ve got a bit of dog in you.'

For the must-win Test in Adelaide starting Wednesday, England have batting all-rounder Will Jacks as the spinner option despite Bashir being in the touring group.

Bashir missed out on fast pitches in Perth and Brisbane, and has now failed to dislodge Jacks. Australia, meanwhile, has brought its top spinner, Nathan Lyon, back.

Speaking before England announced its team, Lyon said: 'I would be surprised if their No. 1 spinner isn´t playing, if I´m honest with you.'

Bashir conceded more than a run a ball in an internal warm-up match at the start of the Ashes tour and didn't pick up any wickets for England Lions against Australia A last week.

'It´s going to be disappointing for Bash,' Stokes said. 'We just feel having Jacksy down at No. 8 strengthens our batting a little bit.

'We´ve had to make some big decisions and big calls over recent times to get the team that we felt was going to give us the best chance.

'That´s what we´ve gone with. We´re 2-0 down and we´re trying to give ourselves the best chance with bat and ball.'

 2-0 down and we´re trying to give ourselves the best chance with bat and ball.'

Tongue was England´s top wicket-taker against India earlier this year and took five wickets in his only previous Ashes Test - at Lord´s in 2023 when he dismissed Steve Smith in each innings.

Atkinson has been dropped after taking just three wickets at 78.66 in the series.