Anderson ‘100 per cent fit, available for selection’: Strauss

MELBOURNE - England skipper Andrew Strauss has said that fast bowler James Anderson is almost certain to play in the Boxing Day Ashes Test after comfortably handling a solid practice session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground nets.

Anderson suffered a sore side in the third Test at Perth’s WACA Ground, which Australia won by 267 runs to level the series.

Strauss said that the 28-year-old bowled for an hour in the nets on Friday and for a shorter time today.

“He (Anderson) had a bit of a niggle, but he seems to have got over that. He’s 100 per cent fit and available for selection,” the Age quoted Strauss, as saying.

Strauss also ruled out that fast bowler Steve Finn will be dropped from the team for being expensive in Perth.

Finn is England’s top wicket-taker with 14 scalps in three Tests so far, but had finished with figures of 2-86 off 15 overs in the first innings and 3-97 off 21 in the second.

“Finny has done some really good things on this tour, taken quite a few wickets. He was probably a bit expensive in Perth, but he’s young and he’s learning and I think he’s going to keep getting better,” Strauss said.

“We’re going to have to think about what that best balance is before tomorrow and we’ll name the side at the toss,” he added. (ANI)