Watson keen to return to the fold

Watson, the vice-captain, was one of four players dropped from the third Test after they failed to respond to a request for feedback from the team management. His decision to fly home to Sydney to be with his pregnant wife raised questions about his international future.

But Cricket Australia confirmed Watson had held talks with Pat Howard, the former rugby union international who is now its high performance manager, and reiterated his "burning desire to be an Australian Test player for as long as I can be". That would seem to remove any doubts about Watson's involvement in the Ashes tour of England in the summer.