Dohert Debut as Australia Opt to Bat in 1st ODI

Melbourne: Stand-in Australian captain Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat against Sri Lanka in their opening one-day international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

The Australians, who have lost their last five international games, will give Tasmanian left-arm orthodox spinner Xavier Doherty his ODI debut.

Doherty, 27, has been a standout one-day performer for Tasmania in the past few seasons and is being auditioned for the World Cup, which should feature spin-friendly pitches in the subcontinent. Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Hauritz were left out of the side.

But Australia will be without skipper Ricky Ponting, who is attending a family funeral in Tasmania. Clarke leads the team in his absence.

Sri Lanka thrashed Australia by seven wickets in the latest Twenty20 match in Perth on Sunday, which was Australia's first home defeat in 11 T20 matches.

Top-ranked Australia have beaten the fourth-ranked Sri Lanka nine times in their last 11 ODI encounters.

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