Mumbai, Dec 14 (PTI) Australia recovered from early jolts and rode on flamboyant Ellyse Perry’s 75 off 47 balls to post 172 for 8 in the third T20I against India here on Wednesday.

Invited to bat, Australia made a disastrous start as captain Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath got out in the first and second overs respectively.

Renuka Thakur had opener Healy LBW for just 1 while Anjali Sarvani got rid of one-down McGrath, also for one, as Australia were five for 2 in the second over.

But Perry and then Grace Harris (41 runs off 18 balls) played pivotal roles to take Australia to a competitive total.

From 79 for 3 at halfway stage, Australia added 93 runs in the back-end.

For India, Renuka Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma and Devika Vaidya took two wickets apiece.

Opener Beth Mooney (30) and Ellyse Perry (75 off 47 balls) resurrected the Australia innings with a 64-run partnership for the third wicket in seven overs.

Perry had another quickfire 55-run stand for the fifth wickets with Grace Harris (41 runs off 18 balls) that took Australia to a good score.

The Indian bowlers got wickets at the regular intervals but also conceded runs on a goof batting track at the Braboune Stadium.

Australia were 43 for 2 at the end of Powerplay but Mooney and Perry scored at a brisk pace to take their side to 68 for 2 at the end od eighth over.

Vaidya then provided India the breakthrough in the ninth over as she cut short Mooney’s promising innings.

Perry, who had hit Deepti Sharma for a six, was still going great guns as she hit Vaidya for a six over the bowler’s head in the 11th over.

But two balls later, Vaidya took revenge but in the form of Ashleigh Gardner () with Richa Ghosh taking a fine catch.

India were in the ascendency for a brief period of two overs but conceded 14 runs in the 14th over with Perry and Harris hitting sixes.

Source: PTI News