Mitch Marsh's team can wrap up a 3-1 victory in the five-match series with a win in a match reduced from 50 to 39 overs per side on Friday following another rain-hit autumnal morning in London.Â
After the toss was delayed by 90 minutes and then another brief shower prevented the England openers taking the field, play eventually got under way two-and-a-quarter hours late at 2.45pm local time, with no bowler allowed more than eight overs each.
It was Australia's return to Lord's for the first time since the stormy Ashes Test in 2023, with Alex Carey, the wicketkeeper at the centre of the Jonny Bairstow stumping controversy, assured of a pantomime villain's reception on his return to action.
The in-form left-hander, who made two brilliant half-centuries in the last two ODIs, is retained as a batter, with Inglis returning after a quad injury to take up the wicketkeeping duties again.
After an injury and illness-hit tour, Marsh was delighted to welcome back two other key performers with opener Head fit again after injury and leg-spinner Zampa, badly missed in Tuesday's defeat at Chester-le-Street, recovered from illness.
He was also elated at finally winning the toss after a barren run of luck.
"Change of coin, change of luck," he smiled, looking at overcast skies and a floodlit Lord's which augured well for plenty of early movement for Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
England were unchanged, with key fast bowler Jofra Archer ready to lead their attack in back-to-back contests.
England had fought back after losing the first two matches of the ODI series, winning another rain-interrupted contest at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday by 46 runs on DLS.
After the dramas of the Ashes Test when MCC members clashed with Australian players, Lord's was reportedly tightening security, with ropes in the Long Room pushed back to widen the walkway for the teams and stairwells off limits to members when players are on the move.
England: Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Harry Brook (capt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Matthew Potts.
Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Steve Smith, Josh Inglis (wkt), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.
