Perry shows fresh evolution with improved strike-rate

Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium was already the scene of one career-defining performance from Ellyse Perry, and on Wednesday it borne witness to the most significant T20I batting display of the allrounder's 14-year international career.

At the same ground where she bowled through a broken ankle to seal victory in the 2013 one-day World Cup, Perry's match-high 75 laid the foundation for what proved to be a winning total of 8-172, helping Australia take a 2-1 lead in the five-game series.

It was her highest score in 77 career T20 International innings, but 75 was not the most critical number; rather, it was the 47 balls she spent at the crease that was most significant.

Her strike rate of 159.57 was the highest of any of her of T20I innings where she scored more than 12 runs since her debut in 2009.

Perry fought her way back into the Aussie T20I side after sitting on the sidelines during the Ashes, Ireland tri-series and Commonwealth Games, forced out in favour of more aggressive hitters.

The 32-year-old subsequently responded in The Hundred, where she hit 134 runs at 136.73 for Birmingham Phoenix, and in WBBL|08, scoring 408 runs at 119.64 for Sydney Sixers.

Those campaigns came batting in the middle order; Perry had previously opened the batting for much of the first seven seasons of the WBBL, but her shift down at domestic level closer replicated the role she is most likely to take on in the national team.

When spots in the Aussie line-up became available for the India tour in the absence of Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning, Perry was the logical inclusion; and after warming the bench as Australia lost just one wicket in each of the first two games in Mumbai, she seized her chance on Wednesday.

"I think you're always trying to evolve and the game is moving at such a rapid pace forward, we've seen that around the world," Perry said post-match.

"Very fortunately for us, we've got the WBBL which has been going now for eight editions and I think there's no better place to keep evolving and trying to develop.

"That's a really strong motivating factor for me to still play, because that's the most fun part of the game, continuing to work on things and work with people that you love working with."

But in typical Perry fashion, the allrounder was more content to deflect praise onto teammate Grace Harris, who hammered 41 off 18 balls in a devastating display.

"This is an amazing team to be a part of and any opportunity that you get to play a role is really nice," she said.

"I think it's probably one of those things where people want to fixate on milestones in games ... but for us, I don't think it really is about that.

"If you look at Grace's innings tonight, that was so important in the context of the match and the way that she played, and Beth (Mooney) as well, getting the momentum back for us after a bit of a shaky start.

"But I really enjoyed the opportunity tonight and had a lot of fun out there."

Australia's T20I tour of India 

1st T20I: Australia won by 9 wickets

2nd T20I: Match tied (India won the Super Over)

3rd T20I: Australia won by 21 runs

4th T20I: December 17, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai (Dec 18, 12.30am AEDT) 

5th T20I: December 20, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai (Dec 21, 12.30am AEDT) 

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Devika Vaidya, S Meghana, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol