Lee must open - Gillespie

Jason Gillespie is resigned to breaking his spectacular new-ball partnership with Glenn McGrath if Brett Lee is recalled for the first Test on Thursday. Gillespie, who plodded through the one-day series, said he wouldn't be bothered if Lee opened the bowling at Lord's.

Lee is favoured to return to the side for the first time in 19 months, but he will be in a three-way push for two spots with Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz in the tour match against Leicestershire starting today. "If Brett is in the Test side he would probably have to open the bowling," Gillespie said in the Courier-Mail. "It wouldn't bother me. Anyone who can bowl at 95 miles an hour and swings them has a pretty decent weapon."

After regaining his spark with 3 for 44 in the final ODI at The Oval, Gillespie said he hadn't bowled badly through the two series. "The England players have played well against me, it's as simple as that," he said in the Sydney Morning Herald. "It's not as if I've been bowling waist-high fullies and ten wides and ten no-balls. Obviously [you feel] a bit down because you're not taking wickets and you're going for a couple more runs an over than you like, but I haven't been as bad as probably some people have thought."