Hussey's message to Australia selectors

Champion batsman Mike Hussey has urged Australia’s selectors to pick the best team possible for the final Chappell-Hadlee match on Friday and resist resting the hosts’ pacemen with a whitewash on the cards.

Australia wrapped up the Victoria Bitter ODI Series 2-0 with a game to spare after they thumped New Zealand by 116 runs in Canberra on Tuesday to win the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy for the first time since 2011.

Scorecard, highlights: Australia thump NZ to claim ODI series

Friday’s dead rubber at the MCG could provide Australia’s selectors an opportunity to rest Test and ODI spearheads Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood ahead of the three-match Commonwealth Bank Test Series against Pakistan, which starts on Thursday week in Brisbane. 

But Hussey wants to see Steve Smith’s men go for the clean sweep and continue the winning momentum that began in the final Test against South Africa in Adelaide and has flowed into the 50-over game.

"I’m going to be really interested to see what the selectors do here," Hussey told Hussey told Optus Sport’s Stumps.

"I know they’ll be very tempted to perhaps give Starc and Hazlewood a bit of a rest leading into the Test matches against Pakistan but a lot of me hopes they don’t because Australia’s won a Test match … built up a bit of momentum through this series, there’s no point trying to stop that momentum now.

"(They should) keep the momentum going, keep the guys playing well, keep the team’s confidence up so they can take it into the Pakistan series.

"I hope they keep picking the best team and make this a whitewash." 

Australia recorded their highest ODI total on home soil against a Test-playing nation when they plundered 5-378 on a picturesque day at Manuka Oval on Tuesday.

David Warner (119) and Steve Smith (72) combined for a 145-run second-wicket stand to power the home side to 2-213 when the vice-captain fell in the 37th over.

The foundation laid by Australia’s leadership duo allowed the middle order a license to swing, and that’s just what Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh did. And with bruising effect.

Head started the late-innings assault, clocking a career-best 57 from 32 balls, a display that earned full praise from fellow southpaw Hussey.

"I’ve been really impressed with Travis Head in the two games so far he’s played brilliantly," Hussey said.

"Under a bit of pressure, there’s (Glenn) Maxwell waiting in the wings hoping for an opportunity but I think (Head has) really grabbed his chance now and plays that middle-order role so well." 

Head’s performance was a hard act to follow but allrounder Marsh upstaged his teammate with a brutal 40-ball 76.

Marsh’s rampage featured seven sixes including three in a row from Black Caps seamer Matt Henry in the final over of Australia’s colossal innings as the hosts ransacked 126 from the last 60 balls.

While he’s struggled for consistency in the five-day format, the 25-year-old’s form in ODI cricket this year has been exceptional, averaging 45.85 with four fifties and a maiden century.

"I’m really happy for Mitch Marsh, he’s obviously been under a lot of pressure, not making many runs so far this summer," Hussey said.

"He looked really nervous at the start of his innings, a bit scratchy, but once we saw one or two out of the middle, then we saw the true power of Mitch Marsh.

"There was a lot of pressure on the Kiwi bowlers after that, they couldn’t quite execute and if you miss against Mitch Marsh at the end of the innings, look out, it’s going out of the park." 

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