IND-W vs AUS-W, 2nd T20: Ellyse Perry guides Australia to series-levelling win on her landmark look

Chants of ‘India, India’ echoed on the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday as Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana walked out to bat within the second T20I towards Australia. After a convincing win within the sequence opener, the expectations have been excessive from the house crew and a powerful 42,000+ crowd ensured that they backed the Women in Blue to the hilt.

However, all of it turned futile in the long run as a batting collapse noticed India crawling to 130 for eight earlier than Australia rode on an unbeaten 34 (21b, 3×4, 2×6) by Ellyse Perry – that includes in her three hundredth worldwide fixture – to clinch a six-wicket win and degree the sequence.

HIGHLIGHTS – INDIA vs AUSTRALIA

While the Indian batters, barring Deepti Sharma (31, 27b, 5×4), did not convert the beginning, it was a commendable bowling effort by Australia. Overcoming an abject efficiency within the earlier sport, Kim Garth (2 for 27) dealt an early blow to the house crew, trapping Shafali LBW and adopted it up with the valuable scalp of Jemimah Rodrigues, who was caught behind the stumps by Alyssa Healy after beginning with three fours.

Having misplaced two of its large hitters early, India struggled to 33 for two within the PowerPlay. Coming on the again of a half-century, Smriti did hit a six and a few boundaries, however she couldn’t management a brief ball from Annabel Sutherland and pulled one straight to Perry at deep mid-wicket.

With captain Harmanpreet Kaur, too, struggling, Deepti and Richa Ghosh cast a 33-run partnership for the fifth wicket, offering a ray of hope. Richa hammered a large six off Ashleigh Gardner however did not push on for a giant rating and was trapped leg-before off a slower supply from Georgia Wareham. At one level, it appeared tough for India to breach the 120-run mark, however Deepti struck a couple of boundaries in direction of the top.

Australia started the chase steadily with captain Healy and Mooney stitching a 51-run opening stand. After a four-fer within the opening sport, the hopes have been excessive for younger Titas Sadhu. However, Healy hammered two consecutive boundaries in her opening over. It appeared like a cakewalk for the Aussies earlier than Deepti struck within the eighth over, eradicating Healy after which acquired her second wicket in Mooney in her subsequent over, courtesy of a fast stumping by Richa.

Though Australia misplaced Tahlia McGrath and Ashleigh Gardner in a brief interval, Perry and the in-form Phoebe Litchfield (18 n.o., 12b, 3×4) regrouped with a match-winning unbeaten 36-run stand. Litchfield hit a few boundaries off Shreyanka Patil within the nineteenth over earlier than Perry sealed the cope with a six.