BRISBANE (Reuters)
Dion Nash has been rushed back into the New Zealand team to play Australia in the first Test.

Pace bowler Nash has not played a Test in more than a year because of back pain but passed a fitness test on the eve of the match, clearing him to make his comeback against the Australians.

Allrounder Chris Cairns and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori were also given the go-ahead to play. Cairns has been out of action for most of the year with a knee injury while Vettori was in doubt after injuring his ankle in a warm-up match last month.

There are still some fitness concerns over the three front line bowlers, but their availability has at least given New Zealand the chance to name a full-strength side for the first time in two years.

"We have players who haven't played for a while at Test level," New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said. "It's very nice to have them back and I'm sure they're just as anxious as the rest of us to get back into it."

Australia 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Justin Langer, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 Mark Waugh, 5 Steve Waugh (capt), 6 Damien Martyn, 7 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 8 Shane Warne, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Jason Gillespie, 11 Glenn McGrath.

New Zealand 1 Matthew Bell, 2 Mark Richardson, 3 Mathew Sinclair, 4 Stephen Fleming (capt), 5 Nathan Astle, 6 Craig McMillan, 7 Chris Cairns, 8 Adam Parore (wk), 9 Dion Nash, 10 Daniel Vettori, 11 Shayne O'Connor.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd