New look to Australia team for one-day series; Sri Lanka returns to favourite format

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia will field a new-look top-order to start the five-match one-day series against Sri Lanka at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday in the wake of the retirements of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey.

Victoria’s Aaron Finch will open the batting with test No. 3 Phil Hughes, while left-hander Usman Khawaja will bat first drop, just ahead of captain George Bailey who is playing only his 14th one-day international.

Veteran wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, 35, will play his first international match in almost a year, lending experience to the middle order along with David Hussey.

Australian selectors resisted naming a fourth debutant, omitting Queensland fast bowler Ben Cutting from their bowling attack. Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Clint McKay will take the fast bowling duties in Melbourne while specialist spinner Xavier Doherty and all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Hussey provide variety.

The unavailability of star batsmen Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, David Warner and Hussey still means the lineup contains more debutants than any Australian one-day side since 1996 when Darren Lehmann, Jason Gillespie and Brad Hogg all made their debuts against Sri Lanka in Colombo.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, with 386 matches, has played more one-day internationals than the entire Australian XI at a combined 366. But Bailey refused to accept Australia was fielding a second-string side.

“It’s still called the Australian cricket team,” Bailey said. “For these two games, this is the best side that Australia can put out.

“I’ve got no doubt that if guys perform well, for sure there’ll be a few debutants in this game. But going forward I think you’ll see these guys a lot more in one-day cricket. I think you’ll see some of them play test cricket.”

Bailey said the Australian team inevitably was selected with an eye to this year’s tours to India and England and to the 2015 World Cup.

“We want (the players) to go out and bat and bowl exactly as they are and not feel as though they have to replace a Ricky Pointing or a Mike Hussey,” he said.

The five-match one-day series affords Sri Lanka an opportunity to make up to some degree for its 3-0 loss to Australia in the test series. The shorter format plays much more to Sri Lanka’s current strengths.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga and spinner Ajantha Mendis did not play in the test series but add considerable strength to the Sri Lanka one-day lineup.

Youngsters Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Thirimanne who played in the third test at Sydney are also likely to be more at home in 50-overs cricket at this stage of their careers.

Sri Lanka beat Australia when the teams last met in a one-day series and has won the last three one-dayers between the teams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Lineups:

Australia: Aaron Finch, Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja, George Bailey (captain), David Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin, Clint McKay, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Xavier Doherty. Steve Smith, 12th man.

Sri Lanka (from): Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Akila Dananjaya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shaminda Eranga, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis, Kushal Perera, Thisara Perera, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne

00:23ET 10-01-13