Ellyse Perry powers Australia to 2-1 lead over India

Australia emerged victorious to lead the series 2-1 at the Brabourne stadium on Wednesday (December 14). Ellyse Perry, supported by Grace Harris, surged Australia to a competitive score with her career-best knock in the first innings. During the chase, India lost wickets in heaps and eventually fell short by 21 runs.

Shafali Verma gives visitors a scare

In the second innings, Darcie Brown gave Australia the early breakthrough in the form of Smriti Mandhana with a slower ball. She then dismissed a good looking Jemimah Rodrigues for LBW, in her third over of the spell. 

India had 41 runs at the end of the power play with Shafali Verma getting a reprieve from Ashleigh Garner in the fifth over. She made the most of the opportunity with her threatening stroke play and spearhead the partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur. She reached her fifty before pulling the ball straight to the mid-wicket fielder. 

Thereafter, the hosts lost wickets in a cluster in an attempt to keep up with the required rate. Skipper Harmanpreet was caught at long-on reducing India to 126 for the loss of six wickets. 

With 47 runs needed off the last three overs, Deepti Sharma couldn't find the big boundaries and India limped to a finish in those overs. 

Ellyse Perry masterclass 

Kaur won the toss for the second consecutive time in a row. With two slips in place, Renuka Singh Thakur pitched the ball up and trapped Healy on the crease with the inward movement. India put an early halt on the dangerous partnership of Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath. Anjali Servani bowled McGrath with a delivery that jagged back.

Australia were two down for nine runs but they did not let the hosts settle on their good start. Perry led the fight back with regular boundaries. She smacked Sharma for consecutive boundaries ending the power play on 43 for 2.  Australia were motoring along when Devika Vaidya came to the rescue for India. She cut Mooney’s innings short compelling the batter to chip weakly to Verma at extra-cover.

Perry posed a major threat for India, scoring with humongous hits and deft touches mounting an individual score of 75. Harris was her usual self scoring at a brisk rate in the middle overs. However, as wickets fell at the other end she hammered along but perished after scoring a quick-fire 41 from 18 balls.

India pulled things back in the death overs as Thakur and Sharma both picked two wickets apiece. Australia finished their innings on 172 runs for the loss of seven wickets. 

Brief scores: Australia 172/8 in 20 overs (Ellyse Perry 75, Grace Harris 41; Devika Vaidya 2/22, Renuka Singh Thakur 2/24) beat  India 151/7 in 20 overs (Shafali Verma 52, Harmanpreet Kaur 37, Darcie Brown 2/19) by 21 runs. POTM: Ellyse Perry