RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Perth, January 19, 2017, Pakistan tour of Australia
(45/50 ov, T:264) 265/3

Australia won by 7 wickets (with 30 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
108* (104)
steven-smith
Preview

Revived Pakistan face unsettled Australia

Pakistan will be looking to maintain the winning form they showed at the MCG

Daniel Brettig
Daniel Brettig
18-Jan-2017

Match facts

January 19, 2017
Start time 1120 local (0320 GMT)

Big picture

Pakistan find themselves in the unfamiliar position of trying to capitalise on a win down under - their first in any format against Australia in Australia for more than a decade. In Melbourne they won in a fashion that emphasised the strength of their bowling attack, by allowing the batsmen a target within their reach. Perth and the WACA Ground offer the opportunity for a similar result, as the Perth Scorchers have demonstrated in mastering the defensive elements of the Twenty20 format in building an enviable record in the west. The left-armers Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan should enjoy the pace and bounce on offer, provided they find the right length for the conditions. Equally intriguing will be whether the stand-in captain Mohammad Hafeez can utilise his spin bowlers on a surface not likely to be as sluggish as the MCG was.
Australia's mixed priorities - win this series but also keep an eye on the looming tour of India - mean a changing team for Steven Smith to lead. Peter Handscomb is following up his richly successful early Test matches with an ODI debut in place of Mitchell Marsh, while Mitchell Starc did not even fly west in order to rest up. This means another opportunity for Billy Stanlake, who could manage only three overs on debut in Brisbane.

Form guide

Australia: LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: WLWWW

In the spotlight

Following his barnstorming century before lunch on the first morning of the SCG Test David Warner  has made a quiet start to the limited-overs portion of the summer, seeming strangely subdued by his naturally aggressive standards. Perth affords the chance for fast-scoring conditions, and the hosts will want a better display from Warner to help underpin a more substantial top-order display after the false starts of Brisbane and Melbourne.
Returning to the team at the MCG, Junaid Khan demonstrated his quality to help put Pakistan in a position to win. His intelligence and tightness as a bowler should serve him well in Perth, where consistency and subtle movement can be rewarded. An Australian top-order lacking in certainty after a pair of poor displays will also be a strong reason for Junaid to approach the bowling crease with plenty of intent.

Team news

Mitchell Starc has been rested from the ODI, with Billy Stanlake returning in his place. Peter Handscomb is in for his ODI debut in place of Mitchell Marsh, while Chris Lynn has been ruled out of the remainder of the series with a neck complaint.
Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Peter Handscomb, 5 Travis Head, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Billy Stanlake.
Pakistan will consider recalling Wahab Riaz for the WACA Ground, but should otherwise try to preserve the combination that won so well in Melbourne.
Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Asad Shafiq, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Hasan Ali/Wahab Riaz.

Pitch and conditions

The WACA Ground surface is not as swift as it used to be, but should afford decent pace and carry to bowlers prepared to bend their backs. The forecast is for a fine and warm, somewhat overcast day.

Stats and trivia

  • Pakistan have won four of six ODIs between the two teams in Perth, though Australia's two victories came in the most recent meetings in 2010
  • Peter Handscomb will become Australia's third ODI debutant of 2017 after Chris Lynn and Billy Stanlake. There were seven - Scott Boland, Joel Paris, Adam Zampa, Travis Head, Daniel Worrall, Joe Mennie and Chris Tremain - in 2016

Daniel Brettig is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @danbrettig