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

Newly appointed captain Mohammad Rizwan opened the scoring for the visitors with 44 but struggled with accurate bowling and failed in the 47th over.

In Pakistan's first 50-over game since last year's World Cup, Australian captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl on a fine day.

Starc broke through in the third over when Saim Ayub hacked at his stumps and misdirected a rising ball in front of a subdued crowd at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground.

That brought Babar Azam into goal after he quit the captaincy last month.

He increased the tempo before Starc struck again, with Abdullah Shafique falling behind with a tame 12 in an excellent opening spell from the speedster.

Azam was in good touch and scored 39 with Rizwan before spinner Adam Zampa came into play and broke the partnership by bowling Azam for 37 with his fourth delivery.

His replacement, Kamran Ghulam, lasted just six balls and was no match for a brutal rebound from Cummins. He beat wicketkeeper Josh Inglis to leave Pakistan struggling to 70-4 after 19 overs.

A patient Rizwan played his way in before opening the bat and hit the first six of the day off Starc. But the wickets kept falling.

Salman Agha was cleverly beaten at square leg by Matt Short off Sean Abbott for 12 and Rizwan then got away by attempting a sweep against part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne, who was caught by Inglis.

Shaheen Shah Afridi scored an entertaining 24 but Starc struck again, shaking his middle stump before a whirlwind from the tail end pushed Pakistan past 200.

Naseem Shah, who came into the game with nine, added 40, an innings that included four sixes, with 20 deducted from a Zampa over.