After Australia's captain dug his team out of trouble with the bat in the first ODI against Pakistan, Mitchell Starc says Pat Cummins should be bumped up the batting order.

Mitchell Starc took 3-33 as Australia dismissed Pakistan for 203 in the first game of their three-match one-day international series on Monday at the MCG.

Cummins’s all-round performance took Australia to a two-wicket win in Melbourne for 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Mitchell Starc believes Pat Cummins has cemented his spot ahead of him in the Australian batting order after the captain starred in another thrilling run chase. Cummins saved Australia from an embarrassing defeat by guiding them to a two-wicket ODI win against Pakistan at the MCG on Monday night.

Cummins hit an unbeaten 32 off 31 balls to steer Australia to 204/8 with more than 16 overs to spare after the middle order had stumbled in a modest run chase

Pat Cummins took 2-39 and then finished 32 not out as Australia claimed a two-wicket win over Pakistan in Melbourne; Australia lead the three-match ODI series ahead of further matches in Adelaide and

Australia's top-order bat-off in Tests is front and centre. But before India arrive for the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the men's international season begins with a white-ball tour by Pakistan. That includes three ODIs and T20Is each, and starts in Melbourne on Monday.