111-8 - Wicket! Four-for for the electric Xavier. Another batsman perishes on the sweep. This time it's Kulasekara, who is nowhere close to being in the correct position for such a shot. Good length, straightens on, finger raised. Malinga in now, who is pretty renowned for swinging for the fences from the get-go.
107-7 - Wicket! The last thing Sri Lanka needed was a silly run-out, but that's exactly what they get as Mathews and Randiv combine to get the latter out. Randiv drives hard, runs the first, second and then turns for the third. Meanwhile, the relay throw from deep extra cover is on its way in and, yes, Randiv is short of his ground as Smith quickly whips the bails off. The hosts are falling apart here. Kulasekara in now.
102-6 - Randiv employs the sweep stroke in a hackneyed manner, then running hard for two in bringing up the collective century. Australia pretty sharp in the field today. Clarke, meanwhile, showing a great deal of faith in his spinner by offering him quite an attacking field, which includes a slip. Don't see that much through the middle overs of an ODI innings.
96-6 - Smith puts in a couple of committed flings and dives to field well off his own bowling. Mathews playing a touch too straight, and might want to consider working the angles a bit more.
95-6 - Something a touch overpitched from the spinner affords Mathews three on the drive through extra cover. On any other ground across the planet, that would've yielded four. Massive Oval, is the MCG.
90-6 - If ever there was a position for the expensive leg-spinner not to concede big runs, this is it. For now, he benefits from due circumspection from Randiv and cronie.
88-6 - Neither Randiv nor Mathews will dare take Doherty on over the top, instead quite content to steady the fast-sinking ship for the time being.
87-6 - Once sitting pretty at 73 for two, Sri Lanka are now in all sorts of trouble at 86 for six. Wicket! Johnson produces an utter peach to get rid of the right-handed Perera, who is undone by a near unplayable line and length. It pitches on midde- and off-stump and jags away oh so slightly to scream past Perera's defences. Bails lying all over the show as the middle-order man departs for a quacker. Randiv in now.
84-5 - Wicket! Doherty quickly thinking this international cricket stuff is easy going, with his second scalp arriving thanks to Silva's rush of blood to the head. The right-hander trys to go huge down the ground, but doesn't get to the pitch of the turn and watches with dismay as Watson hangs onto the skyer at mid-on. Mathews in now, watching from the non-striker's end as the left-arm spinner bags his biggest scalp of the day. Wicket! Sangakkara gets down on one knee for the sweep, hopelessly exposes his stumps and misses the turn. The ball snipes through plenty of vacancies left by Sangakkara's lack of textbook footwork and body positioning, rushing its way into the stumps. Doherty is jumping all over the place in jubliation on the back of his quick three-for. Perera in now, surviving the hat-trick ball and well aware that he has to haul out, at least, a half-ton if Sri Lanka are to win this match. Double-wicket maiden from the debutant.
84-3 - Keen to add to the third wicket with a fourth, Clarke calls his kingpin pace ace back into the attack. Johnson can't oblige as of yet though, instead spooning out an ineffective over, littered with a leg-side wide and a 'four ball'.
76-3 - Wicket! The left-arm rookie spinner nabs a wicket with only his second delivery in international cricket. It's the prized scalp of Jayawardene, who gets a big stride in on the forward defence but it's not enough to stave off the umpire's finger. It pitched on a good length and straightened a touch, and replays relay that it was pretty plumb. Silva in now. Excellent first over from Nathan Hauritz's latest nemesis.
73-2 - Such clever batting from the stalwart duo. Risk-free and along the ground, the merely pick off the runs on offer. They are collectively and accutely aware of the gaps in the outfield and milk them accordingly. So ends the bowling Powerplay.
68-2 - Handy opening over from seamer Hastings, bar one weak short ball, which Sangakkara has no hesitation in spanking across mid-on for four. Boundary drought broken. Aussies need a wicket. Either of these two will be a massive boost for the hosts.
63-2 - Sangakkara and sidekick dealing exclusively in singles for the time being as Watson and fellow seamer plug away with the probing line and length that has served them well enough across the bowling Powerplay.
61-2 - A near replica of the previous over, with Siddle's choice to bowl the fuller stuff rather than bang 'em in short keeping Sangakkara and Jayawardene on the relative defensive.
59-2 - Clarke calls for the bowling Powerplay and immediately offers Watson more protection on the cover boundary. Jayawardene and Sangakkara, meanwhile, happy to take in a token single each as they collectively assess the new field placements.
57-2 - More of the short stuff from Siddle, one of which sits up and begs to be pulled. Jayawardene obliges for four, by merely following the line of the ball to whip it through backward square-leg. Sri Lanka's old guard leading the charge as the mandatory Powerplay ends.
52-2 - A change of bowling as Shane Watson enters the fray. He begins with a big off side wide. It doesn't get any better for Watson as he again gives a lot of width and Jayawardene is able to crack this one to the backward point fence. Again there is width, this time to Sangakkara and he steers it behind point where Clarke can only make a half stop and they pick up three as a result. Ooh, some nice swing there from Watson as he bowls one a little fuller and the ball swing past the edge. He finds the edge next up but it's wide of slip and away to third man for two.
41-2 - Super shot from Sangakkara as he flashes the ball wide of mid off, Doherty misfields (how quickly things change) and it's four more. There's nothing Doherty can do this time as Sangakkara brings out the straight drive, powering the ball to the left of the fielder who can only watch the ball hurry past him to the fence.
23-2 - Jayawardene turns the ball off his hips for a single to get of the mark. Sangakkara is looking in supremer form, first clipping the ball off his pads for two and then cutting wide of third man for two more. He ends the over with two more, with a half-stop at midwicket allowing for the second.
23-2 - Wicket! Insane fielding from Doherty sends Tharanga packing. The debutant slides in to field the ball from a straight mid off position and in the same motion flicks the ball onto the stumps. Brilliant stuff. Full and wide and Sangakkara gets down on one knee and drives elegantly through the covers for four.
19-1 - Sangakkara is the new man and he wastes no time getting going, punching the ball of the back foot and through the covers for four, they had to run all of them though as the fielder reels it in but such is the width of the field they have time to get through for four runs. Johnson strays a touch too straight and Sangakkara turns the ball behind square for two more. Nine from the Johnson over in total.
10-1 - Short and wide from Siddle and he's punished as Dilshan slashes the ball over backward point for four. Wicket! Gone! Big wicket as Dilshan departs. Siddle banged it in short and Dilshan went for the pull, the length wasn't right though and he only succeeds in looping the ball to Hussey at square leg. Ooh, Tharanga flashes at a full, wide delivery but the ball flies past the edge.
6-0 - Dilshan and Tharanga begin the over by exchanging singles but that's the sum total of the run scoring for the over. A strong start from Australia, not a boundary scored yet.
4-0 - Dilshan gets the Sri Lankan total ticking over, working the ball to third man for a single. Again the outside edge of Tharanga's bat is beaten. Tharanga opens his account, nudging the ball into the covers. Great length from Siddle as Dilshan is tempted into heaving the ball into leg but can only get an inside edge onto his pads.
0-0 - Johnson is going to lead the line for Australia, with two slips in place. Some good bounce first up from Johnson but it's well outside off and easily left alone by Tharanga. Ooh, a full delivery from Johnson moves away from the batsman and only just avoids the edge as Tharanga pushes forward. A maiden to start things off for Australia.
Right, for a moment it seemed that rain may threaten the start of the Sri Lankan run chase, but it looks like we'll start on time.
So it's advantage Sri Lanka at the halfway stage with Australia stuttering to 239 for 8. Encouraging for the home side was the form up-front of Brad Haddin who made 49. A number of batsmen got starts but none went on, other than Mike Hussey who played himself into a bit of form with a battling 71 not out. It wasn't the most fluent innings with just one boundary but it has put a score on the board and given the home side something to bowl at. They'll have to match the effort of the Sri Lankan bowlers though who were outstanding and executed their game plan very accurately. All the bowlers bowled well with the spinners Muralitharan and Randiv miserly and the pick Thisara Perera especially dangerous with five wickets. Join us for the Sri Lankan chase in about half an hor.
239-8 - So Perera is given the chance to get five wickets and the responsibility of the mfinal over. Hastings finds one to get Hussey on strike and the left hander hits straight to extra cover where Upul Tharanga misfields, allowing three runs. BOWLED! The end of Hastings, he shifted across his stumps looking to flick the yorker length ball to the fine leg fence. It is a yorker, but too good and with the batsman missing the bowler hits via the pad. That is five wickets for Perera! Xavier Doherty gets his first ODI innings and he's off with a single but Hussey can't make the most of strike, getting just a single for the umpteenth time with Doherty fetching a couple from the final ballof the innings.
234-7 -The Sri Lankan have execture their death bowling very accurately but this time Malinga gives a little too much width and Hastings can beat away through extra cover. The outfield though keeps it to three and not four. Hussey then gets pinned on the shoulder playing too early at a slower bouncer. Hastings meanwhile battles with the normal paced bouncer, somehow managing to toe the ball back on the bounce Malinga. A bye is then stolen to Sangakkara who hits the stumps with a direct hit, but too late and the batting pair then hussle a couple of runs wqhere a better throw would have had Hussey in trouble.
223-7 - Kulasekara is just zeroing in full at will, going slightly wide of the crease and happy to give away just singles. Hastings then gets a surprise short delivery which he bats away and gets fortune with the ball bouncing short of mid off. Hussey now on strike clubs two, Perera nearly making a fluff of the fielding before showing a broad smile, and then a single to mid wicket.
216-7 - Hussey will want the strike but it's Hastings who has it first, and he swings away for two and then one to give Hussey the strike. The left hander is beaten by a sharp bouncer before profiting from a wide and then a single. A slower bouncer then decieves Hastings who watches it bounce past his face, before getting lucky with a top edge down to find leg for four.
207-7 - BOWLED! Kulasekara gets another go and after forcing Johnson to play and miss at a delivery wide of the crease he then fires in straighter and full with the left hander getting a bottom edge onto his stumps. John Hastings comes to the crease and has to field a dead-on yorker before picking too from one slightly over-pitched.
204-6 - The batting powerplay is taken, one over before it had to be. Malinga is the man steaming in and full and wide is where Johnson wants it, clubbing two down to third man. A quick single follows with Mitchell getting a shy to the forearm for his trouble. Hussey has been in for a while but still he can only manage ones even in the powerplay over. Malinga is bowling full and in the block hole forcing Johnson down the ground before a slower bouncer surprises Hussey, but he's able to find yet another one.
197-6 - So Kulasekara got just one expensive over and Murali is back, eith a slip in place too and after two dot balls Jayawardene at slips has dropped Johnson. It was a cheeky reverse sweep which flew fast to Jayawardene's left, he anticipated well but just beat him for pace. Great over from Murali at this stage, just three from it.
194-6 - Perera continues to Hussey who picks a one. A wide follows down the leg side, Perera not please with himself. The mid wicket is in close for Hussey to cut off the single. It's Jayawardene there and he has to scoot around as Hussey takes one. Only seven overs to go now, and some lusty blows needed.
189-6 - Mike Hussey hits in the air out backward of square on the leg side but not enough bat to beat two fielders converging and it's just a couple. Hussey then makes a cleaner connection and has pierced to the two fielders in the deep behind square on the leg side to fetch the first four of his innings to go to fifty. Hussey has hardly celebrated that milestone, there is still a major job to be done.
180-6 - Oh dear me, says Ian Healy. Steve Smith is out! Perera returned and he's got his fourth as Smith tries to dab to third man but has edged through to Sangakkara instead. Once again just as a partnership starts to find some momentum a wicket falls. Mitchell Johnson is capable of landing some large blows but starts with a single . Another very successful over from Perera.
177-5 - Two dot balls has Steve Smith desperate to get off strike and he pushes a single to cover and nearly has Mike Hussey in trouble, a poor throw back to Sangakkara could have had him in trouble. Steve Smith dabs down hard and guides to the thrid man area. Malinga hussles after it and makes a mess of the fielding with vaseline on his fingers, allowing the ball to roll into the fence. That's the first boundary for some time and Steve Smith will want to start hitting a few more now.
171-5 - Hussey picks up two, which is the most he's managed from one delivery today. Hussey is looking comfortable without being fluent at the crease. Steve Smith whips Murali away off his toes for a couple before a single from the final ball of the over. Still no boundary though.
162-5 - Randiv's variation has Hussey caught in a tight web and all the left hander can do it push the final ball of the over away into the covers for a single after three dot balls.
160-4 - The part-timer Dilshan continues and he's such a useful cricketer with his batting an obvious plus and then overs for cheap to top it all off. He fields well off his own bowling to prevent a run for Hussey with just three from the over. A little more is needed now for Australia.
155-5 - OUT! After a patient rebuilding effort Marsh perishes to Randiv. The left-hander went to cut a ball too full to do so and gets the finest of edges through to Kumar Sangakkara who will be delighted with his side. Smith is the new man in and gets a single to get off the mark before Hussey finds one more of his own. Australia would love Hussey to play himself in here and at the same time land some large blows towards the end of the innings.
154-4 - Dilshan is around the wicket to the left-handers, with Sangakkara once again swithing his bowlers around. Dilshan goes too short and is cut out to the cover sweeper as the constant flow of singles continues.
150-4 - A low full toss from Randiv is picked off to long on for two by Mike Hussey. Marsh then plays and misses with a slip waiting in anticipation before the younger of the two batsmen hits out at a drive. The stroke just brings one but it's a bit more attacking intent shown by Marsh.
144-4 - Malinga dishes up a low swinging full toss but Marsh does not capiltalise with a defensive push which just shows the mindset, and the difficultly with picking up Malinga's deliveries. Another low full toss is turned away, but just for one. Malinga then overpitches and Marsh has hit it straight back at him, Malinga hurdles so as not to take a ball to the ankle and it's cut off short of the long-on fence with two runs the result.
139-4 - Randiv goes around the wicket and Marsh has brought out the sweep shot which brings him two and then one. There is still a slip in place for Mike Hussey but he's managed to find yet another single. The off side field is in close and crowding the inner frind and Marsh is unable to manufacture anything from the final two balls of the over.
135-4 - In his rotation policy Sangakkara has now turned to Lasith Malinga who has gone for just nine in his five overs so far. Not the best start with a wide before Malinga finds his range and beats Marsh with a cracker. Mike Hussey has 21 ones, and he's final added a two to that collection, behind square on the off side.
130-4 - So 13 overs since the last boundary now and the time is right for either Hussey or Marsh to step on the gas a little. Still just singles though against Randiv who has changed ends. Kumar Sangakkara has chopped and changed his bowlers effectively today, not allowing the batsmen to settle.
126-4 - Kulasekara is back as seam returns with one slip in place, a little wider than a conventional first slip. Four off the over, still singles, with the Aussie pair still not taking any risks.
122-4 - These spinners are riffling through the overs. Marsh meanwhile breaks the sequence of ones with an edge cutting off the back foot. The ball flies through a vacant slip area and away for two. Back to accumulating ones, and Sri Lanka will be pretty pleased with the way things are going right now.
116-4 - More singles, but just three of them in another tidy Randiv over. Sangakkara doesn't seem to mind too much giving away ones.
113-4 - Dilshan replaced Murali who bowled seven overs on the trot. The opening batsman starts like a part-timer, short and wide but Hussey can only find one to the cover sweeper. Super running allows a steady flow of singles as the rebuilding phase continues on track.
108-4 - Hussey pushes and runs to point which has Sangakkara calling his fielders in just a touch. Marsh then can't find anything from the last four balls of an impressive Randiv over.
106-4 - Marsh turns into the leg side and the batsmen hussle through for two which is clearly frustrating for Kumar Sangakkara who is battlnig to defend ones and twos in this large Melbourne outfield.
102-4 - Randiv now into the attack and the Aussies are looking for ones wherever possible. They find a couple each and Australia are now into three figures.
98-4 - Australia need to rebuild and Marsh and Hussey have started the process by sterring Murali around for one, particularly on the leg side. A short ball from the final delivery should be runs but is clubbed cleanly by Hussey straight to short cover and no runs.
94-2 - So, Perera on a hat-trick charges in, with the crowd going crazy - there seem to be more Sri Lankan fans than Aussies in the ground. Mike Hussey calmly tucks the hat-trick ball away on the leg side for one. Marsh gets off the mark with a single before some good running brings Marsh two more from the final ball of the over.
89-4 - Hussey finds a single to put new man Shaun Marsh on strike and he's battling first up against Murali, playing and missing before being beaten by the doosra, a loud lbw appeal but Marais Erasmus says not out immediately.
88-4 - Hussey gets off the mark from his seventh delivery to put Brad Haddin on strike, the Aussie keeper on 49. OUT! Suddenly the Australians are crumbling, Haddin, with a fifty there for the taking, cuts cleanly but straight to point where Dilshan takes a good catch. That'll frustrate Haddin no end as the ball was there to hit. BOWLED! First ball Cameron White is out! That is a prize wicket for absolutely nothing. It was a terrific delivery which cut away and clipped the top of off stump. Perera has three!
86-1 - Haddin finds one and then the field converges on the under-pressure Hussey, the Sri Lankans have obviously been reading the Aussie media's speculation about Hussey's form and place in the side. There's a short cover and a slip in. Missed stumping! Murali flights in to his Chennai teammate first up and beats him with Hussey dragging his foot out the crease. Sangakkara doesn't take cleanly and the ball deflects from his glove just short of slip. It seems Hussey didn't edge it but definitely a stumping chance gone a-begging.
85-2 - Clarke clubs confidently past mid-on for four, that's great stroke and the Aussie captain is starting to look very comfortable. OUT! But just as he's started to look real dominant Clarke has perished, cutting a ball too close to his body and edging through to Sangakkara who takes a great catch low to his right. That wicket came rather unexpectedly! Mike Hussey the new man and he lets his first ball go safely by.
79-1 - Clarke rocks forward, and then back, to capitalise on a slightly short ball, cutting away for four, the first boundary today not from the bat of Brad Hiaddin. Clarke uses his feet confidently again and Murali tries to slip the ball down the leg side for a stumping but Clarke manages to get bat on it and glances away for four more.
69-1 - Kulasekara continues and stroke play has suddenly become difficult for Australia, Haddin inside edging for one. There is a shout against Clarke struck on the pad but not out before the Aussie skipper pushes one and then has to hussle back after a loud call of 'no' from Haddin.
66-1 - Clarke does what is required of him by pushing to long on for one to give Haddin the strike. The skipper knows that his batting partner is in the kind of form that needs him to be on strike as much as possible. Haddin though is beaten by Murali before easing down to long-on himself for just a single and another very economical over, there have been a few of those now in this bowling powerplay.
64-1 - Kulasekara is now, amazingly, into his third spell in just the 13th over. Clarke shuffles down the track but can't find a run before clipping through the leg side for two. The swing of Kulasekara is assisting the batters hitting to the leg side and Clarke does so again for a single.
61-1 - Into the attack comes Murali and his skipper will be desperate to see him make a breakthrough with these two starting to look comfortable at the crease. The crowd are happy to see Murali too and he starts well, beating haddin with a doostra before the Aussie keeper is able to force away off the back foot for two.
58-1 - Perera now from the other end with the bowling powerplay taken. A single to each batter before Haddin charges Perera and drives imperiously on the up, through extra cover for four! He's played some fantastic strokes already and hits another boundary on the up, the timing just good enough to reach the rope with Ian Healy willing thew ball on.
48-1 - Kulasekara returns now after a rest of just one over. Clarke finds one and then Haddin plays a stunning guide backward of point for four with some great control. Sangakkara is standing up to the stumps at the moment and sees Haddin find the inside half of his bat for one, before moving back to see Clarke half-edge, half-steer to third man for a couple.
40-1 - Hard to believe Brad Haddin has been out injured with the way he's playing, solid and in behind the line of Malinga. He then drops a ball to mid-off and scampers a very well run single. Clarke finds another single and that is all there is from the over with the Aussies happy to just see out the dangerous Malinga.
38-1 - Not the greatest of starts for Perera, short and down the leg side and Haddin manages with the underside of his bat to pull away fine of short fine leg for four. Not really the place to be bowling to anyone. Clarke then gets the strike for the first time and gets off the mark with a couple off his pads.
31-1 - OUT! Malinga gets his just reward as he tries a slowerball this time and catches Watson playing too early only to sky off the leading edge. A comfortable catch taken by Chamara Silva. Really superb bowling that. Michael Clarke is the new man in at three, the stand-in skipper saved from the strike just yet as the batsmen had crossed and Haddin sees out the rest of the over, just one from it.
30-0 - Haddin gets lucky, and his third boundary, inside-edging a swinger from Kulasekara just past his leg-stump. Watson had previously clipped three away off the pads and Haddin completes a great over for Australia by clubbing four over mid-on.
19-0 - Lasith Malinga is bowling fast, the highest in this over at around 142km/h. He serves up two sharp bouncers to Haddin and it's another very impressive and threatening over, just one from it.
18-0 - A leg-bye to start before Haddin cracks another beauty of a drive inside of mid-off for four! Then less convincing he edges down to third man for a single.
11-0 - Tony Greig is charming as normal about the Sri Lankans, gee he's a big fan, and why not with Lasith Malinga producing a quality over of pace an accuracy to keep Watson quiet. Just a single from the final ball of the over.
10-0 - Brad Haddin has a wild swing at the first delivery of Kulasekara's opening over. The Sri Lankan right on the mark from the off. Haddin then plays a typical drive superbly away for the first boundary of the day before driving again away for a couple.
4-0 - Malinga is on the money from the start with Shane Watson watchful from the start. The Aussie allrounder then clips away through mid-wicket for a couple to open Australia's account. He and Haddin then trade single to end the over. This is an interesting and very powerful opening pair for Australia.
The anthems have been sung and it's time to go. Lasith Malinga with ball in hand will go to Shane Watson who has Brad Haddin there with him at the crease.
So Sri Lanka are pretty much as expected with two spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan and Suraj Randiv, in the line-up. No place for Dilhara Fernando. The Aussies meanwhile will hand a debut to Xavier Doherty which is an exciting prospect for later. Siddle is back, Johnson is back, as is Haddin and Watson in the ODI line-up.
Australia: Michael Clarke, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin, John Hastings, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Shane Watson, Cameron White. Sri Lanka: Kumar Sangakkara (captain), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Suraj Randiv.
"Generally a very good pitch, great for batting on," says Ian Healy. He also says it's going to suit the spinners, Xavier Doherty included.
So Australia will be desperate to break a losing run that has seen them without an international win since July. Sri Lanka in contrast are in fantastic form with Kumar Sangakkara's men looking a decent outside bet for the World Cup next year. Unfortunately the Melbourne Cup is on this week, that coupled with the Aussies recent lack of form, has left the MCG rather bare of spectators. No worry though, it should still be a great game between two very competitive sides.
News from the MCG is that Australia have won the toss and will be batting first.
Hello and welcome to our over-by-over coverage of the first ODI between Australia and Sri Lanka from the MCG in Melbourne. Play is scheduled to start at 14.20 local time, that's 03.20 GMT.