The neck was a little bit stiff and sore for a few days

Andrew Strauss
England batsman Andrew Strauss has been passed fit for Friday's one-day game against Australia in Melbourne.

Strauss was hit on the head by a ball from Brett Lee during the final Test of the Ashes series and missed Tuesday's Twenty20 loss with a stiff neck.

"Turning around was a little bit awkward, but I am now fully looking forward to getting stuck in," he said.

Strauss will not have to contend with fast bowler Lee at the MCG as he is still suffering from bronchitis.


Interview: England batsman Andrew Strauss

Australia have, however, picked exciting left-armer Mitchell Johnson after he recovered from a stomach muscle strain and have Ashes stars Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark in their starting line-up.

England are expected to hand one-day international debuts to veteran wicket-keeper Paul Nixon and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar for the triangular tournament's opener.

Nixon and Panesar gave encouraging performances in the Twenty20 match.

Strauss said his team's poor one-day form recently, with just seven wins in their last 27 games, could actually work in their favour as they look to upset the host nation and the Kiwis.


Johnson proved his fitness in a net session on Thursday

"We're going in there with a sense that we haven't got much to lose," he said.

"We can play the sort of cricket we know we are capable of and maybe surprise a few people."

Strauss' return will probably put his Middlesex colleague Ed Joyce out of the starting side.

For Australia, McGrath is likely to share the new ball with the one-day specialist Nathan Bracken, another left-armer.

The retirement of Damien Martyn, meanwhile, will offer Michael Clarke the chance to move up the order with one-day cricket's official best batsman Michael Hussey remaining at six.

"Michael Clarke is going to bat at four with Andrew Symonds at five and Michael Hussey at six," said captain Ricky Ponting.

"Huss has been incredible down the order in one-day cricket and for the last five or six years of his career has batted in that position.

Watson, being the sort of player he is, will be able to fit into our line-up pretty much anywhere down the order

Ricky Ponting

"Michael Clarke has got a chance up the order. He has been a bit starved of that over the last couple of years, has been dying to go up, so his chance has come now."

Ponting said all-rounder Shane Watson remained part of the team's plans for the World Cup in March despite having missed most of the season with a hamstring problem.

The injury put Watson out of the Ashes series and he has been told he must play two four-day games for state side Queensland before he will be considered for the national team.

"Watson, being the sort of player he is, will be able to fit into our line-up pretty much anywhere down the order. I see him as being a really crucial player for us," said Ponting.

"I think it's a day-by-day assessment with him really, just to see how he's going and how much bowling he can get done.

"We'll just keep our fingers crossed and hope it's sooner rather than later for him."
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Australia: R Ponting (capt), A Gilchrist, M Hayden, M Clarke, A Symonds, M Hussey, C White, N Bracken, S Clark, M Johnson, G McGrath.

England (from): M Vaughan (capt), A Strauss, E Joyce, I Bell, K Pietersen, A Flintoff, P Collingwood, J Dalrymple, P Nixon, J Anderson, J Lewis, M Panesar, C Tremlett, S Mahmood, L Plunkett, C Read.