New-look top order takes shape with Mooney locked in

Beth Mooney has been locked in as opener for Monday’s first Commbank ODI against Pakistan, but skipper Meg Lanning says Australia are still mulling their options for who will join her at the top of the order.

The ODI at Allan Border Field will be Australia’s first one-dayer since winning the World Cup in Christchurch last April.

In the almost 10 months since, long-term opener Rachael Haynes has retired, and fellow left-hander Mooney, who opens in T20Is, is the logical choice to shuffle up from the middle order to replace the former vice-captain.

But Alyssa Healy’s calf injury, which has ruled her out until the T20 World Cup, means there is a second, albeit temporary, opening spot to fill for the three one-dayers.

Lanning, who has been a lock at No.3 for Australia since 2014, batted alongside Mooney in the nets in Allan Border Field in the lead-up to Monday’s game.

The right-hander also opened for Victoria in a pair of state 50-over games last week, and confirmed on Sunday she was one option Australia would look at.

Others include uncapped Phoebe Litchfield, who opened in Healy’s place in the final India T20I last month, Ellyse Perry or Annabel Sutherland.

"I'm an option to do it," Lanning told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.

"Beth Mooney will move up and she'll go into that spot, which she is very accustomed to, and then it's just where that other spot sits.

"We've got some really good options, I think anyone can do it, we'll land on that today … but it's just an exciting opportunity for whoever gets that chance to do that."

Mooney will also take the gloves in Healy’s absence.

Australia have not yet confirmed their XI for Monday’s game, but have two potential debutants in Litchfield – who could slot into Mooney’s former role in the middle – and former Irish international Kim Garth, who is one of several new-ball options alongside regulars Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown.

ICC Women’s Championship points will be on offer in the three-match ODI series.

Running every four years, the Championship determines which five teams, alongside hosts India, gain automatic qualification for the 2025 World Cup.

This is Australia’s first round of the new edition of the Championship and having won both previous editions, they will be eager to secure all six points on offer.

Pakistan have already played two rounds, against Sri Lanka and Ireland, and sit second on the table after winning five of those six matches.

Australia nonetheless will go in overwhelming favourites, having never lost to Pakistan in any format, but allrounder Perry said their rivals would not be taken lightly.

"They're a team that has been constantly improving over the last couple of years particularly," Perry said on Sunday.

"They've got a lot of really good senior players but also some really exceptional young talent coming through - someone like Fatima Sana, we got to see her at the one-day World Cup last year and just what she's capable of, and she's only come on since then.

"They're going to be a really good challenge for us, we saw the way that they played the other day against the Governor-General's side and for long periods of that game, they were on top."

CommBank ODI Series

Monday Jan 16:Allan Border Field, Brisbane 10:05am

Wednesday Jan 18:Allan Border Field, Brisbane 10:05am

Saturday Jan 21:North Sydney Oval, 11:05am

Buy #AUSvPAK ODI tickets here

Australia ODI squad: Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland

Pakistan ODI squad: Bismah Maroof (c), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Tuba Hassan