Australia lose in Perry’s milestone game, trophy on the line as Healy returns

3 days ago 5

By Steve Larkin

February 22, 2026 — 9.27am

Australia’s women cricketers have slipped to a 17-run loss to India in their series-deciding Twenty20 fixture.

India claimed a 2-1 series triumph after posting 5-176 on Saturday night at Adelaide Oval – the highest women’s T20 international score at the venue.

Ellyse Perry’s milestone game finished with an Australian loss and, for her, a disappointing dismissal.

Australia mustered 9-159 in reply, losing traction after their initial three wickets – including Ellyse Perry in her 350th international match – fell in a 13-ball span.

“It was a bit of a bugger we couldn’t get the result for her tonight,” Australia captain Sophie Molineux said of Perry.

“She’s a special person, a special cricketer, she has done so much for the game and continues to.”

Australian openers Georgia Voll and Beth Mooney cracked 18 runs from the first over, delivered by Renuka Singh Thakur.

India’s Shreyanka Patil is pumped up after claiming the wicket of Annabel Sutherland.

But Voll (10) and Mooney (six) were dismissed in a space of six balls.

Australian great Perry scored only one – she advanced to spinner Shreyanka Patil and attempted a big drive but missed and was bowled.

Perry’s dismissal left the hosts reeling at 3-32 in the fourth over before Phoebe Litchfield and Ash Gardner steadied with a 31-run stand.

But Litchfield (26 from 17 balls) was caught in the deep from a switch-hit – she’s played a similar shot the ball before and smacked it for four – to leave the hosts 4-63 in the ninth over.

The Australians were 4-78 at the midpoint and Gardner gave her side a sniff, making 57 from 45 balls before she too was caught in the deep.

Gardner’s departure started another Australian slump of 4-15.

“We actually thought we kept them to a good score, it was a pretty good wicket,” Molineux said.

“We just lost some pretty important wickets at the wrong point in time.”

Australian keeper Beth Mooney completes the run out of Amanjot Kaur towards the end of India’s innings.

Earlier, Indian opener Smriti Mandhana top-scored with a superb 82 from 55 balls and featured in a 120-run partnership with No.3 Jemimah Rodrigues (59 from 46).

Australia struck early when quick Kim Garth (1-25) dismissed Shafali Verma (seven) in the third over.

Mandhana and Rodrigues then produced their fine stand, powering the tourists to 1-86 at the midpoint of their innings.

The partnership was finally broken in the 17th over when Mandhana lofted Annabel Sutherland (2-34) into the leg side only for Gardner to make swift ground from deep mid-wicket and take a catch on the run.

Jemimah Rodrigues celebrates after taking the outfield catch to dismiss Australia’s top run-scorer, Ashleigh Gardner.

The nations meet again on Tuesday in Brisbane for the first of three 50-over fixtures, ahead of a Test match starting March 6 at the WACA Ground in Perth.

Those matches will be the last for ex-Australian skipper Alyssa Healy before she retires.

“(She) is going to bring an injection of some real excitement,” Molineux said.

“It’s going to be her last four games for Australia, and we’re going to do everything possible to send her off on the right note.

The trophy for the multi-format series is decided on a points system, with two points for each T20 and 50-over victory and four points for a Test triumph.

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