Healy declares herself fit for Test, Australia XI still up in air

Alyssa Healy has declared herself "good to go" for the historic day-night Ashes Test at the MCG but says Australia's XI has yet to be confirmed on the eve of the match.

Healy and her troublesome right foot successfully got through Australia's first pink-ball training session on Tuesday evening, with the Australian skipper fronting up to Wednesday's pre-game press conference confident she was up for four days of Test cricket.

Pressed on whether she was locked into the XI, Healy steered away from concrete guarantees.

"I'm good to go," Healy said. 

"We'll make a final decision on what the XI looks like over the next little period ... but I feel like I'm ready to go, so we'll wait and see what happens. 

"The final XI hasn't quite been decided upon just yet, but I'm standing here in front of you without a moon boot, saying I'm ready to go."

Healy missed the T20I leg of the multi-format Ashes due to a stress reaction in her foot and had spent the last week wearing a moon boot.

On Tuesday, the 34-year-old was running laps of the MCG with teammates, fully participated in a lengthy series of running and fielding drills and was the last player to leave the nets after two stints batting against the pink ball.

"It's been surprising to me every single day that I've done some stuff just how well it's responded. I was pushed pretty hard yesterday ... we've done that on purpose to try and see what I can and can't get through and I've pulled up really well, so I'm really positive moving forward," she continued.

Allrounder Ashleigh Gardner, who also missed the T20Is due to a minor calf injury, also trained fully and has been cleared to play the Test.

Healy's situation was more complicated, given she will carry the injury into the match and needed to prove to medical staff, and herself, that she was up to enduring four days of Test match cricket.

The longer-term question of whether she could potentially make the injury worse was also taken into account.

"The medical staff have been really supportive of (giving me) the opportunity to even push to play in this Test match," Healy said. 

"We've done everything we possibly can to get myself in a position to put my hand up and say, 'I'm ready to go'. 

"There's a little bit taken out of my hands in that regard, and I still want to do the best by the team but I'm excited, and I feel like, body wise, I'm ready to go out there and lead the side in a Test match. 

"There's a lot of there's a bit of unknown as to how the four days will pan out. 

"But at the moment, I'm on as little medication as possible, which I think is a huge sign. We've sought a lot of specialist advice as to what it might look like moving forward, and there's no real evidence to suggest that it might go any further than what it currently is. 

"So that's positive signs for me, and probably gave me the mental nod as well to go, 'Yep, I think I can push to try and play'."

With Healy playing, selectors will need to make a call on whether to add an extra batter to the line-up and hand a Test debut to Georgia Voll, or opt for a second leg-spinner in Georgia Wareham.

National selector Shawn Flegler already confirmed to cricket.com.au earlier this week that Australia would stick with a new-ball pair of Darcie Brown and Kim Garth, with Megan Schutt to miss.

Meanwhile, England have been dealt a blow with Kate Cross ruled out of the Test.

The veteran pace bowler had hoped to return from the back injury that kept her out of the ODI leg of the series and had bowled in the nets on Tuesday, but captain Heather Knight said on Wednesday Cross had not returned to the level required to play in the Test.

Knight also confirmed Sophia Dunkley would be recalled following her strong showing in the T20I leg of the Ashes.

That will leave England to make a call between an extra pace bowler Ryana MacDonald-Gay, who debuted in place of Cross against South Africa last month, off-spinner Charlie Dean.

"We've got 12 at the moment, just deciding on the final bowler," Knight said.

"In the last Test match, we went for an extra bowler looking ahead to the Ashes.

"But in this Test match, we're going to play the extra batter so Sophia Dunkley will come in.

"Then we're just deciding between seam and spin for that final spot.

"Kate Cross is unfortunately not going to be playing.

"She's been amazing, she's worked so diligently to try and get over injury but she hasn't quite been able to get back to her pace and her performance level.

"Really gutted for her, because she's a key member for us ... it's just a little bit too soon in terms of getting back to her best for us."

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