Clinical Perry ices tense chase in milestone match

Ellyse Perry has celebrated her 300th international game in style, steering Australia to a six-wicket win over India in the second T20I.

With Australia chasing a low target of 131, Perry struck an unbeaten 34 from 21 deliveries – including a six that sealed victory with an over to spare.

India had kept the pressure on the tourists taking regular wickets, and Perry was joined by rookie Phoebe Litchfield with Australia needing 32 from 24 balls.

The pair silenced the 42,618-strong crowd at DY Patil stadium, and fittingly it was Perry who eased the pressure with a booming maximum into the Australian dugout.

An enormous 19th over then saw Litchfield take on spinner Shreyanka Patil, pulling out the paddle for four first ball, then the same shot for two from the next.

A trademark reverse sweep also found the rope, and after a single got Perry on strike with four runs required, the 33-year-old smacked a maximum over deep mid-wicket to level the series 1-1 and set up a decider on Tuesday.

Earlier, Australia had produced an excellent display with the ball and in the field to restrict India to 8-130, with Kim Garth (2-27) striking two early blows while Georgia Wareham (2-18) and Annabel Sutherland (2-17) also impressed.

After Australia’s openers raced to 0-51 in seven overs, the introduction of Deepti Sharma brought about an immediate breakthrough as she had Alyssa Healy caught on the boundary for 26 from 21.

She then had a second when Beth Mooney, who looked scrappy on her way to 20 from 29, was stumped advancing down the pitch to the off-spinner.

Perry arrived in the middle in her milestone match with Australia 2-58, and found the boundary from the third ball she faced.

But Australia continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, halting their momentum and pushing up the required run rate.

Tahlia McGrath (19 off 21) was caught behind attempting to reverse sweep Patil, then Ashleigh Gardner (7 off 10) edged behind off Pooja Vastrakar.

With Australia 4-97 needing 32 off 24, Perry was joined by 20-year-old Litchfield to steer their team home.

Earlier, only Sharma (30 off 27), run out off the last ball of the innings, scored more than 23 as India regularly lost wickets in a disciplined batting and fielding display from Australia.

Healy unsurprisingly opted to bowl first after winning the toss, with her mind on the dew at a ground where 10 of the last 14 T20s have been won by the side batting second.

Garth, recalled to the XI in place of Darcie Brown, made an immediately impact, trapping opener Shafali Verma (1) lbw in the second over of the match.

Verma, fresh off 64 in the first game, went upstairs to no avail, and Garth had a second when the in-form Jemimah Rodrigues (13) edged behind, leaving India 2-20.

Smriti Mandhana (23 off 26) looked threatening when she dispatched Garth for six, but she was caught at deep mid-wicket by Perry shortly after trying to hand Sutherland the same treatment.

Australia continued to strike at key moments to stall India’s momentum, helped by some excellent use of the Decision Review System by Healy.

Harmanpreet Kaur (6 off 12) miscued a sweep off Gardner and picked out Perry on the boundary, before Richa Ghosh (23 off 19) was out lbw on review by Wareham.

The leg-spinner was convinced it was going down leg and was reluctant to review, but a more confident Healy went upstairs at the last second and it paid off, leaving India 5-88.

Another successful review by Wareham and Healy saw Vastraker (9 off 11) also out lbw, before Sutherland removed Amanjot Kaur (4).

Only a wayward final over boosted India’s total, with 13 runs coming off it, including five wides and two runs off a dropped catch.

Australia's CommBank Tour of India

Test match: India won by eight wickets

First ODI: Australia won by six wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by three runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 190 runs

First T20I: India won by nine wickets

Second T20I: Australia won by six wickets

January 9: Third T20I, DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Heather Graham, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

India T20 squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Amanjot Kaur, Shreyanka Patil, Mannat Kashyap, Saika Ishaque, Renuka Singh, Titas Sadhu, Pooja Vastrakar, Kanika Ahuja, Minnu Mani