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Flying colors Australia set to be unchanged for second test
LONDON (Reuters) -- Australia is set to go into the second Ashes test against England with an unchanged side after declaring injured trio Brett Lee, Matthew Hayden and Michael Slater available for selection. Coach John Buchanan said: "Hayden was the one giving us a little concern but he seems to have pulled through. They all came through training with flying colors." Buchanan, who is not one of the Australian selectors, added: "If I had any input I would suspect we would look at the same 12 we had at Edgbaston (in the first test)." But opening batsman Hayden appeared to be limping after Tuesday's practice at Lord's. He injured his right knee while fielding in the warm-up game against Somerset, which ended Monday, and is likely to be replaced by Justin Langer if he fails to fully recover for the second test, which starts Thursday. Pace bowler Lee has recovered from a rib problem that kept him out of the Somerset game, but he remains under pressure after Damien Fleming, his main rival, continued his prolific tour by taking eight wickets in that match, including six for 59 in the first innings. Lee, regarded as the world's fastest bowler, was selected for the tour following elbow surgery and was preferred to Fleming for the first test, but he gave up 71 runs without taking a wicket in the first innings before taking two for 37 in the second as Australia won by an innings and 118 runs. Buchanan added: "Fleming is in good form, which he showed at Somerset, as did some other batsmen, notably Langer." Slater, Hayden's opening partner, has shrugged off a blow on the hand, inflicted by Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar who was guesting for Somerset against the Australians.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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