England wait on Flintoff

England and Andrew Flintoff will test how his ankle stands up to the rigours of bowling full on

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Andrew Flintoff will undergo a fitness test at Lord's in his bid to feature in the NatWest Series decider against India - as well as the World Twenty20 tournament.

All-rounder Flintoff, 29, batted in the nursery nets on Thursday and will test his injured left ankle by bowling on Friday.

Since returning to international action, following ankle surgery, late last month he has missed three matches of a pulsating campaign which is level at 3-3.

His bags have been packed for the flight to South Africa on Sunday but, although scans on his ankle have not revealed any further damage, there is still pain in the joint when he bowls at maximum capacity.

England already have to find a replacement for Essex's Ravi Bopara (fractured thumb) in their 15-man touring party but will not make any definitive decisions until they assess Flintoff and Chris Tremlett.

Hampshire fast bowler Tremlett also took part in Thursday’s session with those members of the squad who did not feature in the two-wicket defeat to India on Wednesday, bowling at full tilt following an injection in his ankle.

Sussex's Luke Wright was the latest of a new breed of hard-hitting batsmen to prosper on Wednesday when he hit 50 on debut, while Dimitri Mascarenhas upstaged everyone by hitting the final five balls of the innings for six.

With Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior and Owais Shah also possessing considerable weight of stroke, England have finally identified individuals to compensate for the loss of Marcus Trescothick.

"We have shown in this squad how many different people can do it," said Wright, whose half-century at the Brit Oval came from only 38 balls.

"Dimi has shown how far he can strike it and someone like Ravi Bopara has shown as a finisher how he can manipulate a ball as effectively as someone who comes out to smack it.

Luke Wright is excited by England's firepower in the middle order © Getty Images

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"That is my way of playing but there are so many different ways to be a finisher and they are equally successful.

"We certainly do have firepower and that is both exciting to watch and effective in winning games. So let's hope we can keep doing well in one-day cricket."

Wright's place is under threat from Flintoff but he will have done enough to come under consideration for the one-day series in Sri Lanka which follows the 20-over competition in South Africa.

Wright, 22, has revelled in an England environment full of familiar faces, such as his former Sussex coach Peter Moores and Stuart Broad, a close friend from their England A days together.

"If it is quite intense in the changing room it can make people uptight but because it is such a team environment everyone wants everyone else to do well," said Wright.

"Knowing how the coach works helps you relax a little bit and he knows what makes me tick and how to manage me. “Peter is a great coach, who has not only helped me but a lot of young guys.

"Stuart was in years below me at Leicestershire but the first time we saw each other was at the Academy in Loughborough and since then - because we got on really well together - we have been on holidays together and were in South Africa training together when we got called up for the A tour to West Indies.

"Stuart actually developed really late. As soon as he shot up he became awesome, and he is a year younger than me so he came through a bit later rather than at the same time as me at Grace Road."

India captain Rahul Dravid, meanwhile, expects Sachin Tendulkar to be fit for the final game despite suffering from cramp late in his innings of 94 at the Brit Oval.