Heroic Healy reveals full extent of injuries

The thrill of securing Australia's first Test win since 2015 was more than enough to sooth the pain of two broken fingers for skipper Alyssa Healy on Monday.

Ashleigh Gardner wrapped up the five wickets Australia required in just under 90 minutes on day five on Monday, securing an 89-run win and four crucial points in the multi-format series.

Healy, leading Australia in a Test for the first time, confirmed afterwards she had carried two broken fingers into the match at Trent Bridge, where she captained, kept wicket and batted across the five days.

She revealed she had been struggling to grip her bat, which was the reason she dropped herself down two slots in the order to No.8 in Australia's second innings.

"I was feeling like I was copping a bit of grief in the media and on the field when I walked out at eight and I was getting the sense that no-one really knew what was going on," Healy said on Monday afternoon.

"This is what I've been dealing with for the last seven days leading into the Test match.

"So I let (commentator) Mel Jones slip that bit of information this morning, so that people could fully understand what was going on.

"It is what it is, it happens as a wicketkeeper, you get knocks on the fingers and unfortunately for me it was one on each hand, so it made it incredibly difficult in particular batting and being able to grip the bat after keeping for 110 overs."

Healy is hopeful of being available to lead Australia in the remaining six white-ball matches of the multi-format Ashes – if she does miss a game, vice-captain Tahlia McGrath will step up in her place – and she will be assessed during the week in Birmingham.

The 32-year-old said she was on some painkillers throughout the match, but that it had been a balancing act between being comfortable to play, and not risking further injury.

"We went as low as we possibly could (with the painkillers) knowing if we needed more, we could do that.

"But the more pain you take away, you're not quite sure where your fingers are and I think that could have potentially created a few more dangerous situations for (my fingers) to get into.

"(I was in) a bit of pain out there but all for a good cause."

Her injuries made the fact Healy shrugged off three consecutive ducks in the format to arrest an Australian collapse and score a match-defining half-century all the more impressive.

Australia's lead was 208 when she arrived in the middle, and had passed 260 when she was dismissed shortly after reaching the milestone.

Healy also took five catches and executed – with a bit of luck after a fumble – the crucial stumping of Amy Jones across the match.

"I got reminded of (being on a double pair) quite a bit walking out there and also copped a gobful for coming in at eight," she continued.

"It probably switched me on a little bit more than what I normally am.

"There were a few nerves there but at the end of the day, I said to myself after the first innings, 'If I make a duck and we still make 460-odd, I'm a pretty happy skipper'.

"It was a precarious position that I came out in, but we just found a way to fight and scrap and stay in the contest."

Trent Bridge was Healy's first Test in charge of the Australian team.

She only discovered she would become the team's 20th Test skipper in late May, when regular captain Meg Lanning was forced out of the tour due to medical reasons.

On Monday, Healy hailed the support of senior teammates – in particular, Australia's most experienced Test player Ellyse Perry – for helping her manage the demands of captaincy as a wicketkeeper.

"I actually saw a tweet that in Pez's 16th year of international cricket, she's played half as many Test matches as Cameron Green," she said.

"And then there's me, who's played less (matches), captaining the side, so it's a pretty remarkable stat when Cameron Green isn't captaining his country.

"It's a tough ask, but Heather Knight's doing the same thing, she hasn't played a lot of Test match cricket either.

"It was good fun. I really enjoyed it.

"It's tough work at times having to concentrate behind the stumps but I've got a really great group of senior players around me, Tahlia McGrath is vice-captain throwing some ideas at me (and) I thought Ellyse Perry in particular, her leadership throughout this Test match was incredible and helped me out quite a bit."

Healy also confirmed leg-spinner Alana King would have been fit to bowl if required on Monday, after she sat off the field through Sunday's final session after copping a blow to the left elbow while batting.

Australia will travel to Birmingham on Tuesday, where they will prepare for Saturday's opening T20I at Edgbaston.

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (vc), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Kate Cross, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt

Australia lead the multi-format series 4-0

Test: Australia won by 89 runs

First T20I: July 1 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, 6.35pm (3.35am July 2 AEST)

Second T20I: July 5 at The Oval, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 6 AEST)

Third T20I: July 8 at Lord’s, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 9 AEST)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (7pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)