Watson back, Aussies to bat at SCG

Shane Watson has earned a recall for Australia’s crunch clash with Sri Lanka at the SCG, where the World Cup hosts will bat first.

Australia made two changes to the side that thumped Afghanistan by 275 runs, with Watson and Xavier Doherty in for Mitch Marsh and Josh Hazlewood.

Michael Clarke won the toss on Sunday and opted to bat first in muggy conditions.

A dry pitch paved the way for Doherty’s inclusion, while Clarke suggested Watson’s experience with the ball meant he got the nod over Marsh.

“Horses for courses,” Clarke said at the toss.

“We think it’s going to spin.”

Watson will bat at No.6, with Steve Smith retained at first drop.

The allrounder’s call-up came four days after chief selector Rod Marsh confirmed he had been dropped because of poor form with the bat.

“Hopefully he’ll find himself back in the team at some stage. He might have to rely on someone else’s lack of form or an injury to get back in,” Marsh said on Wednesday.

Mitch Marsh suffered some foot pain in his side’s last-start win over Afghanistan, but Clarke noted on Saturday he was fit and available.

“I asked him how he was feeling when I walked off from my first bat and he said he’s flying and ready to go,” Clarke said.

The match against Sri Lanka is Australia’s most important World Cup fixture to date.

Defeat will almost certainly consign them to a quarter-final against South Africa then a potential semi-final in Auckland.

Sri Lanka made three changes, handing World Cup debuts to Seekkuge Prasanna, Upul Tharanga and Sachithra Senanayake.

Australia XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Xavier Doherty

Sri Lanka XI: Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga, Thisara Perera, Seekkuge Prasanna, Sachithra Senanayake, Lasith Malinga.

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