England all rounder Ben Stokes is on course to be available for the first Ashes test in Brisbane on Dec. 8 after his late addition to the squad, captain Joe Root said on Thursday.
"He's had a bat, he's had a bowl, taken some catches . He's done his fielding work separately but it looks like he's on track and it's really exciting.""It's managing that excitement and making sure that we don't push him too hard and that he's ready, as best as he can be, for that first game. I really hope he's ready. It's been remarkable to see how far he's come. It looks very promising.
Root also confirmed that Stuart Broad, who has been sidelined with a torn calf, had bowled in the nets.Root and his team mates have been quarantining in their rooms since arriving in Australia but are now allowed out in small groups for training sessions. They will be joined by England's T20 World Cup players who were knocked out in the semi-final in dramatic fashion by New Zealand on Wednesday.