Ellyse Perry smacks the winning runs in Australia’s T20 victory over India

More than 42,000 people turned out for Ellyse Perry’s 300th game for Australia in India and she didn’t let them down.

Reaching game 300 for Australia moved superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry to “reminisce” on her stunning career and motivated her to deliver another reminder of her class as she guided her team to a cruisy T20 win over India.

The 33-year-old smacked a six in to the Australian dugout to silence the 42,618-strong crowd at DY Patil stadium in Mumbai as she sealed the six-wicket victory in the second game of the series as the Aussies chased down the home team’s target of 131.

Perry sealed the deal batting with rookie Phoebe Litchfield, who had posters of her batting partner on her wall and is now sharing the stage with a player who inspired an entire generation of female players.

Typically modest, Perry, who finished unbeaten on 34 off just 21 balls, said she was just “doing my job” but her continued domination at international level is the marker of one of the best to ever wield the willow for her country.

“Lovely to get the win. Just doing my job in the end,” Perry said.

“Nice comeback for us. India played especially well the other night. We bowled really well today. Phoebe at the end was exceptional.”

NAVI MUMBAI, INDIA - JANUARY 7: Ellyse Perry of Australia plays a shot during game two of the women's T20I series between India and Australia at DY Patil Stadium on January 7, 2024 in Navi Mumbai, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

But the milestone was not lost on Perry either.

“It’s definitely a special privilege. It’s kind of crept up on me in the last couple of days,” she said.

“It’s really made me reminisce. It’s miraculously turned into this career, playing around the world.”

It was a positive bounce-back for the Australians who lost the opening T20, coming on the back of a solid all-round bowling performance with player of the match Kim Garth snaring 2-27 while Annabel Sutherland (2-18) and spinner Georgia Wareham (2-17) were also pivotal in limiting the home side.

Then a 51-run opening stand between Australian captain Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney laid the platform for Perry to finish it off.

“We probably still didn’t execute as much as we’d want but we are happy to take the win,” Healy said.

“I think we just needed to be more clinical. We just didn’t execute well enough the other night and the bowlers did really well today.

“Hopefully we’ll go one better in a couple of days’ time.“

Originally published as Ellyse Perry smacks the winning runs in Australia’s T20 victory over India