Lee fit as McGrath goes through his paces

Brett Lee has passed his fitness test and is available for selection against England at Old Trafford.

The Australian fast bowler emerged as an injury doubt for the third Ashes Test with a knee injury which flared up on the final day at Birmingham and was then admitted to hospital on Monday.

He has, however, made a swift recovery and had enough ease of movement when put through his paces at Old Trafford this afternoon to convince Australia he is fully fit again.

Lee's pace partner Glenn McGrath, ruled out of the Edgbaston Test after injuring his ankle in the pre-match warm-up, also bowled on the square at Old Trafford but will be reassessed by the tourists before they name their team tomorrow morning for a pivotal Test in a series currently standing at 1-1.

"Brett Lee has been passed fit and is available for selection. Glenn will be reassessed tonight and again tomorrow," a team spokesman confirmed.

Lee and McGrath both tested their injuries as expected by bowling at a single stump on the edge of the Old Trafford square, at the start of Australia's practice session.

Each started tentatively, before building up to somewhere near three-quarter pace without showing any obvious ill-effects of their exertions.

The telling time would come, though - as Ponting earlier pointed out - when each of his pace bowlers discovered how they recovered from their efforts.