Australia must heed lessons: Lehmann

Australia have made another alteration to their squad for the one-day international leg of the Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka starting at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday, with Mitchell Marsh sent home following the Test side's embarrassing three-nil series sweep that concluded yesterday.

At this stage, a replacement has not been named.

Marsh's exit brings the ODI touring party back to 15 members after rising star Travis Head was flown over to Sri Lanka late last week and means the selectors have ultimately made two changes to the squad that tasted success in June's tri-series against South Africa and West Indies in the Caribbean.

Glenn Maxwell makes way for Shaun Marsh after the Western Australian batsman missed the tri-series for the birth of his first child, while Moises Henriques replaces fellow allrounder Marsh.

The elder Marsh brother and captain Steve Smith are the only Australians in the squad who also featured in the 2011 series in Sri Lanka, when the visitors claimed the series 3-2.

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Mitch has become an increasingly reliable presence in Australia's 50-over side, with an unbeaten knock of 79 leading Australia into that tri-series final against the West Indies before a match-winning spell of 3-32 from his 10 overs helped the visitors to victory in the decider.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann insists it's simply an opportunity to freshen up the young allrounder ahead of a crucial five-month period for the national team.

"It's a big summer ahead for him," the Bupa Support Team head coach told media following the third Test defeat. "We've obviously got some quality allrounders in our one-day squad anyway, so we get a chance to freshen him up and ready to go for South Africa and moving forward."

Australia enter the five-match ODI series with a hefty lead on top of the ICC rankings, while sixth-ranked Sri Lanka will hoping to continue their winnings ways after the historic Test series triumph.

Following the ODI leg on the island nation, Australia will take on Sri Lanka in two Twenty20 internationals before travelling to South Africa for a one-off clash with Ireland and five ODIs against the Proteas.

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Squads for those subsequent series are still to be announced.

While Marsh was unable to find the breakthrough score that has so far eluded him in the game's longest format, Steve Smith (247 runs) was the only Australian to score more runs this series than the powerful allrounder, who finished level with David Warner on 163.

With the ball, Marsh's seamers were only called upon for 35 overs throughout the three-Test campaign for the reward of just two wickets as Australia relied on the frontline bowlers to do the bulk of the work.

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The chance to rest and recuperate may be just what the 24-year-old needs ahead of a packed summer schedule featuring Commonwealth Bank Test series against South Africa and Pakistan, a pair of Chappell-Hadlee series with New Zealand both home and away, as well as a Victoria Bitter ODI campaign against Pakistan.

From there, it's on to the biggest challenge Australia will face in the foreseeable future; a gruelling four-Test series in India in February and March.

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), George Bailey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa

Sri Lanka ODI squad: TBA

First ODI: R. Premadasa Stadium, 21 August at 7pm AEST

Second ODI: R. Premadasa Stadium, 24 August at 7pm AEST

Third ODI: Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, 28 August at 7pm AEST

Fourth ODI: Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, 31 August at 7pm AEST

Fifth ODI: Pallekele Stadium, 4 September at 7pm AEST