Australia committed to aggressive cricket: McDonald

Australia will enter Sunday's ODI Series decider against Pakistan in Perth with a vastly revamped team but no change to their on-field approach despite a chastening defeat at Adelaide Oval.

Men's team coach Andrew McDonald conceded Pakistan had produced "almost a complete game" in defeating Australia by nine wickets with 141 balls to spare and noted the reigning ODI world champions were well below their best tonight.

But despite the absence of five star players for the final game of the three-match series at Perth Stadium, McDonald holds firm in the team's approach to 50-over cricket with just one ODI remaining before the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan.

Fast bowlers Lance Morris, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett will all come under consideration for Sunday's game, with fellow seamer Sean Abbott also set to return along with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

Left-arm spin bowling allrounder Cooper Connolly might also be given a chance to show his stuff in front of his hometown fans given his skills set could be valuable on what will be vastly different pitch conditions in Pakistan compared to the tracks for the first two ODIs in this series.

Test stars Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Marnus Labuschagne will all miss the series decider as they begin preparations for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test campaign beginning in Perth on November 22.

However, despite the enforced overhaul of Australia's starting XI for Sunday's game, there will be no change to the aggressive approach to top-order batting even though they have surrendered their first six wickets for less than 150 in both outings against Pakistan.

"We go to Perth with a clear plan, a clear method," McDonald said after the loss in Adelaide.

"We're committed to the style we want to play.

"The big thing about that is we've won 16 out of the last 19 games, and we've got some changing personnel within that but we believe in the style we want to play as a group.

"We weren't at our best tonight, nowhere near our best.

"Pakistan controlled the game from the get-go and not enough runs to even think about putting pressure on."

While the five Test stars will surely figure in final selection for the Champions Trophy tournament in February, Australia will also regain power hitters Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh who are currently on paternity leave.

In their absence, Australia have fielded new ODI opening pair Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk, who have brought attacking intent from ball one of their two innings together but have so far managed first-wicket stands of 19 and 21.

It provided a stark contrast to Pakistan's pursuit of 164 for victory tonight, with Saim Ayub (82 off 71 balls in his second ODI outing) and Abdullah Shafique (64no off 69) adding 137 before a wicket fell, by which time their team was within clear sight of victory.

McDonald has heard criticism from some commentators that some of his batters are going too hard, too early in their innings, but noted Australia's shortfall today could be attributed more to Pakistan's fast bowling acumen than profligate stroke play.

"If you looked at the dismissals today there was some defensive strokes in that," he said.

"It's just finding that balance, and we've had great success with the style we want to play at the top of the order to make sure we're putting pressure on opposition bowling units.

"Sometimes that can work, and over the journey so far it's served us well.

"We've got some new personnel at the top as well … but I think Matt Short in England (earlier this year) showed he's up to the task.

"He has hasn't got off to the start he wants in this series, and Jake (Fraser McGurk) is not the finished article either.

"Everyone thinks he may be the finished article, but he's going on a journey with his career and we believe he's good enough to play at this level at this point in time.

"But clearly there's always going to be some setbacks within that."

After stumbling in pursuit of a modest total at the MCG in Monday's series opener, Australia's sub-par batting effort today – their lowest completed ODI innings at Adelaide Oval – meant questions remain about their optimal line-up for the Champions Trophy.

But McDonald pointed out a bulk of the ODI team have crucial Test campaigns against India (home) and Sri Lanka (away) before that ICC tournament gets underway, so it was far too early to panic about form in the 50-over arena.

And he added Australia were still looking for their best form going into last year's ODI World Cup in India before lifting the trophy.

"It's the nature of one-day cricket," he said.

"We didn't have the greatest prep leading into the World Cup either, and a lot of the things you do tend to come together at the last minute leading into those world events.

"Clearly we've got to tune things up for Perth, we've been challenged in different ways and we have to respond.

"Yes we're trying to connect between now and the Champions Trophy by having a look at certain things, but we've got a Test summer (against India) we've got to combat through then off to Sri Lanka with a great challenge there."