Aussies in the dark in fortress Perth

Australia's one-day side have become accustomed to coming to Perth and winning, but there will be an element of the unknown when the brand new Optus Stadium hosts the final match of their Gillette Series against England.

After getting their first victory of the five-game series on Australia Day in Adelaide, Steve Smith's side touched down in the Western Australian capital on Saturday and the majority of the squad took their very first look at the untested venue.

Three practice games between Perth Scorchers and England Lions last month aside, Sunday's ODI is set to be the venue's first major event of any kind.

Australia have won 11 of their last 13 ODIs in Perth but their strong record in the west is effectively null and void at the new arena.

In an odd quirk, Australia's opposition features as many players with familiarity of the stadium’s drop-in pitches as their own squad does; England quicks Mark Wood and David Willey played for the Lions and the Scorchers respectively in those trial games, while Jhye Richardson and Andrew Tye also turned out for Perth.

"Only the Scorchers guys have played out here. No one (else) has been out here," Smith told reporters in a press conference room that will double as the away change rooms for Australian Football League matches.

"I don't think they've even been inside the stadium. The boys are coming for a walk down here this afternoon to get a feel for the ground and set our stuff up and get ready for tomorrow.

"The games they played up here it was a little bit up and down, a bit two-paced. It's hard to tell sometimes with the drop-in wickets when they're first being used. It'll be interesting to see how it goes."

While the Australian players' attention on their walk down to the Burswood ground was diverted slightly by the ongoing Indian Premier League auction, in which Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell learnt they'd been snapped up for figures nearing $2m AUD, the sense they’d arrived at a world-class facility didn't appear to be lost on the squad.

Ground staff were putting the finishing touches on the wicket on Saturday morning, a track which featured snaking patches of grass which could provide encouragement for the fast bowlers.

WACA curators have been preparing the drop-in pitches (a second was being rolled for next week's Perth Scorchers semi-final) for the last three years on the other side of the Swan River at Gloucester Park.

While there have been fears the Optus Stadium drop-ins would fail to match the WACA Ground's famed pace, head curator Matt Somerville earlier this week tipped the track to have provide sufficient bounce.

"The wicket looks pretty good, it feels quite hard at the moment," Smith concurred after inspecting the wicket.

"The stadium is magnificent. When it’s packed and everyone's in here I think it's going to be an incredible atmosphere.

"It's got a bit of an MCG feel to it.

"It'd be nice if they can replicate what the WACA does out here – it's a great place to play cricket, one day cricket in particular, the wickets there are fantastic.

"Most games there are high scoring. It would be great if they could replicate that out here."

Of Australia's 15-player ODI squad (including both Finch, who has returned to Melbourne to nurse a hamstring complaint, and his replacement Maxwell), only seven are staying on for the ensuing Gillette T20 INTL tri-series. The other eight, including Smith, will have a brief break before the four-Test Qantas Tour of South Africa.

Smith, who's come back down to earth after his incredible Magellan Ashes campaign with only 90 runs at 22.50 in the first four ODIs, admitted he's looking forward to a well-deserved rest.

"It has been a long summer," he conceded. "The way I've batted in this one-day series has been a bit disappointing.

"I just haven't felt quite at home, where I'd like to be, particularly coming off the way I was batting in Test cricket in Sydney.

"I'd like to try and end this one-day series with a score, and help the boys win the last game of the series as well."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Gillette ODI Series v England

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Cameron White, Adam Zampa.

England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

First ODI England won by five wickets at the MCG

Second ODI England won by four wickets at the Gabba

Third ODI England won by 16 runs at the SCG

Fourth ODI Australia won by three wickets at Adelaide Oval

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

Australia T20 squad: David Warner (c), Aaron Finch (vc), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

England T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, David Willey, Mark Wood.

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final TBC, Eden Park, February 21