Mooney to drop down the order, Healy faces crucial test

Alyssa Healy’s fight to prove her fitness for this week’s day-night Ashes Test at the MCG will come down to Australia’s training session under lights on Tuesday, as selectors mull their plans for the historic fixture.

Healy was in a moon boot throughout Australia’s sweep of the T20I leg of the multi-format series to help manage the stress reaction in her right foot that has emerged following the raptured planter fascia that ended her T20 World Cup in October.

The Australia captain said last week she was desperate not to miss a rare chance to pull on the Baggy Green, and hoped to prove she could manage her foot through the four-day game as a specialist batter, with Beth Mooney to take the gloves.

Australia will train at the MCG twice before the Test starts on Thursday, but it is likely a call on Healy’s availability will have been made by the time either she – or vice-captain Tahlia McGrath – addresses media on the eve of the match.

Ashleigh Gardner, who missed the T20Is with a minor calf strain, will also train on Tuesday.

The allrounder was batting against the pink ball in the nets during the T20I series, in positive signs for her availability for the MCG game – and for Australia’s push for an unprecedented 16-0 Ashes sweep.

If Healy does play, selectors will be left with a tough call between Georgia Wareham (to play alongside fellow leg-spinner Alana King) or handing a Baggy Green to batter Georgia Voll.

National selector Shawn Flegler confirmed to cricket.com.au that Mooney’s added workload as wicketkeeper would see her pushed down into the middle-order, leaving a vacant spot at the top of the order.

In her stead, Healy could resume the opening role she played in three Tests for Australia prior to 2023. A more likely move might be for Voll to open alongside Phoebe Litchfield.

"There's only a couple of spots we've got to think about and then Alyssa is the one that we've got to wait until we train and see how she pulls up from that before we make a call on the make-up of the XI," Flegler said.

"Beth will take the gloves and you won't see her opening the batting.

"She'll slide down into the middle-order, and then we'll make a call on whether Midge (Healy) opens the batting or whether she bats in the middle-order.

"We've got that option to open the batting with Volly or she could bat in the middle-order, she's showing she's pretty versatile.

"But we want to wait until we see how Midge goes before we make a call."

If Healy is ruled out, Voll would likely open the batting and there would also be room in the XI for Wareham to play her first Test since 2021.

Australia will be forced into making at least one change to their last Test side that played South Africa 11 months ago due to Sophie Molineux’s knee injury.

England have consistently been challenged by Australia’s leg-spinners this series, helping to build a case for Wareham’s inclusion alongside incumbent King.

"Soph (Molineux) would have been a big part of the team (even) with the pink ball and how we think wicket might play under lights at the MCG," Flegler said.

"I think it'll have a bit of grass, but we're still thinking that she would have played an important role for us, so (her absence) is a bit of a change in strategy.

"Georgia's has been our T20 bowler predominantly for the last couple years, and Alana has been the ODI bowler, but with Soph being injured, we've looked at how those two could play together, and they both bowled really well at different stages (of the white-ball games), and they complement each other, they're both slightly different the way they do bowl."

Flegler also confirmed Australia would stick with their new-ball opening pairing of Kim Garth and Darcie Brown, after the pair impressed against South Africa last summer.

"I know Megan Schutt has come out and said she's probably not in the first XI and that's fair, we've been really honest with her up front," he said.

"We're happy with how Kim (Garth) and Darcie (Brown) bowled during the last Test match with the new ball so we expect that to be the same again.

"So Schutter is likely going to miss at this stage, unless something happens to one of those two."

The Australia squad enjoyed a day off on Monday following their sweep of the T20I leg of the series, as they look to freshen up for the four-day Test.

England’s 14-player Test squad has been boosted by the inclusions of Tammy Beaumont, Kate Cross and Rayana MacDonald-Gay.

None of that trio featured in the T20Is and instead travelled ahead to Melbourne to begin pink-ball preparations.  

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 12-0

First ODI: Australia won by four wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 21 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 86 runs

First T20I: Australia won by 57 runs

Second T20I: Australia won by six runs (DLS)

Third T20I: Australia won by 72 runs

Australia squad (ODI/T20Is): Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris+, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England squad (ODI/T20Is): Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont*, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross*, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson+, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath+, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp+, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith+, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

* ODIs only; + T20Is only

Day-night Test: January 30 - February 2: MCG, Melbourne, 2.30pm AEDT

Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia from Jan 12 - Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub