Alyssa Healy has been cleared to captain Australia from behind the stumps in the Ashes series opener after getting through a crucial fitness test on her knee.

Always set to play in the XI, Healy got through around 30 minutes of glovework on Saturday at North Sydney Oval before declaring she was fine to keep on Sunday.

Her readiness behind the stumps comes as a massive boost for Australia ahead of the first ODI, allowing Beth Mooney to stay in the field as a safe pair of hands at slip.

“I’m good to go, and I’m really excited by that,” Healy told ABC Sport’s Summer Grandstand.

“There was a little bit of doubt for an extended period as to whether that would actually happen again so the fact that everything has gone smoothly and that’s a viable option for me is a really good thing.

“I’m pretty happy about that, to get the gloves back on and do what I’ve been doing my whole career.”

Healy has been able to play as a batter while she has nursed herself back to full fitness, but always with an eye on returning to keeping in these Ashes.

With a final fitness test on Saturday passed, she’s ready to resume her role behind the stumps.

“It was basically just wicketkeeping, that was the final hurdle. With my knee and the way that it was and what had actually happened, wicketkeeping was going to be a real challenge and getting back on the park.

“We took more of a cautious approach to give myself a little bit more time and manage it properly and that seems to have paid dividends because that’s come back really nicely.”

Australia are set to again leave out in-form opener Georgia Voll from Sunday’s side, after she made scores of 46no, 101 and 26 filling in for Healy last month.

A decision must also be made on whether to include quick Darcie Brown or spinner Georgia Wareham, with the early start likely to push Australia towards Brown.

Loading…

Healy couldn’t guarantee that she would see out the entire series as the team’s wicketkeeper but said the Australian squad’s depth meant she could afford to be pragmatic with her recovery.

“With a tight schedule with this Ashes series we’ll have to manage it as we go.

“Obviously I haven’t kept in a game of cricket since the first game of the WBBL, so we’ll just manage it day by day and see how I pull up. We’re blessed with the squad that we’ve got options if need be.

“It’s been a challenging few months, probably a challenging eight or nine months for me as well with a couple of injuries but I’m feeling really good and hopefully I can contribute.”

Loading…

Bowlers will likely rotate through the multi-format series with three ODIs, three T20s and a Test to be completed before February 2.

A seven-time World Cup winner across all formats, Healy has the chance to win a 50-over as captain for the first time in India in October after T20 disappointment last year.

She is also yet to win an Ashes series as captain with Australia drawing the 2023 series in England after dominating early.

“It wouldn’t bother me if I was captain or not, I would just like to win both those things,” Healy told media at North Sydney Oval.

“It is obviously a big 12 months for our group. We said that leading into the T20 World Cup as well.

“But you look at this series in isolation and it is a big one for us.

“The finish to it last time in England left the girls wanting more and wanting to improve and evolve.”

ABC/AAP