McGrath backs Johnson's one-day form to put him in contention for 'return' Ashes

Australian pace legend Glenn McGrath has said that he believes that bowler Mitchell Johnson's successful one-day form in the recent series against England should put him into the frame for the return Ashes series.

Johnson finished the ODI series, which Australia won 2-1, with five wickets at an average of 28.2, and became just the fifth Australian to get 200 ODI wickets on Monday, joining McGrath, Shane Warne, Craig McDermott and Brett Lee in the elite club.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, McGrath, who claimed 563 Test wickets, backed Johnson's fearsome ODI form to elevate him into coach Darren Lehmann's squad for the five-Test series starting in November, tweeting that he should be in the Ashes as he is bowling incredibly well.

Although the left-armer has been in and out of the Test team in recent years and has not played since Australia's miserable 4-0 series defeat in India earlier this year, the report said that his improved form would be a welcome sight for Australia given that its fast bowling stocks are badly hit by injuries.

The serious shortage of healthy fast bowlers ensures that Johnson, and his 51 Tests worth of experience, is bound to be considered by Lehmann and the selectors, the report added.