Ellyse Perry smoked an unbeaten 34 off 21 balls as Australia chased down 131 with six wickets remaining, winning the second T20I in Navi Mumbai to level the three-match series. Playing her 300th international match, becoming the first Aussie and only the fourth women’s player ever to do so, Perry picked a couple of catches, though she didn’t get to bowl.

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Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham and Kim Garth picked two wickets each as seasoned campaigners Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy provided the base for a comfortable win with a fifty-plus opening stand during the chase.

Garth picked two early wickets by removing the attacking duo of Shafali Varma and Jemimah Rodrigues inside 20 runs. Smriti Mandhana tried saving the sinking ship but got out on 23. Captain Harmanpreet Singh departed on six as India’s scorecard read 54 for four inside 11 overs. 

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Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma held the innings together, but just when they looked like accelerating, Wareham removed Richa, trapped in front of the wicket on 23. Bowlers Pooja Vastrakar and Amanjot Kaur fell early before a mix-up led to Deepti’s run-out on 30, with India scoring just 130 for eight in 20 overs.

Perry stars in milestone outing

The Aussie opening pair of Healy and Mooney had Australia in the driver’s seat with early exploits, adding 51 for the first wicket. Deepti Sharma removed the opening pair in the space of seven runs.

Tahila McGrath and Perry then upped the ante, with Perry taking the lead.

A certain young off-spinner, Shreyanka Patil, removed McGrath caught behind and accounted for all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner on just seven, dismissing her in the same manner.

Perry, alongside emerging star Phoebe Litchfield, wrapped up the formalities as Australia completed a comfortable six-wicket win over the hosts, levelling the series 1-1. 

On Tuesday (Jan 9), the same venue in Navi Mumbai will host the third and deciding T20I. 

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