Australia gained the upper hand on day one of the one-off pink-ball Test against India at the WACA Ground in Perth. By stumps, the hosts reached 96/3 and were trailing by 102 runs after a strong bowling performance earlier in the day.
In her farewell international match, Australia captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and chose to bowl first in scorching conditions. The decision proved to be the right one. Annabel Sutherland produced an impressive spell with the new ball, using swing and seam effectively to take 4 wickets for 46 runs. Debutant Lucy Hamilton also made a strong impact with her accuracy and movement, finishing with figures of 3 for 31. Their efforts helped bowl India out for 198.
Australia then began their innings and ended the day on 96 for 3, putting themselves in a good position heading into the next day of play.
Who is Ellyse Perry?
Ellyse Perry is widely regarded as one of the most influential players in women’s cricket and a global icon of the sport. She made history when she became the youngest Australian to play international cricket. Perry made her debut in July 2007, just before turning 17, during the second ODI of the Rose Bowl series against New Zealand, despite never having played a senior domestic match.
At the time, Australia were looking for a replacement for fast bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick, who had retired earlier that year. Perry initially joined the team as a fast bowler. However, her sporting future was uncertain because she was also pursuing a professional career in football. She represented Australia’s national women’s football team, the Matildas, and later became the first woman to represent Australia in World Cups in two different sports.
In 2008, Perry was among the first group of women cricketers to receive central contracts from Cricket Australia. That year she also made her Test debut against England.
Earlier that same month, she had already made headlines on her T20I debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Her unbeaten 29 runs, which included a huge straight six, along with four wickets, helped Australia defeat England by 21 runs.
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Initially known for her bowling, Perry took her first five-wicket haul in an ODI against New Zealand in 2010. A few months later, she was Australia’s leading wicket-taker at the Women’s World T20 in the Caribbean. She also delivered a Player-of-the-Match performance in the final, taking three wickets to help restrict New Zealand.
Over the years, Perry has played a key role in several Australian World Cup victories. One of her most memorable performances came in the 2013 Women’s World Cup final against West Indies, when she bowled 10 overs and took 3 for 19 despite struggling with injury.
Her batting also developed significantly over time. Between 2014 and 2019, she produced outstanding performances in the Ashes, including a double century in Sydney and another century in Taunton. In 2015, she also took nine wickets in the Ashes to help Australia regain the trophy.
In domestic cricket, Perry became one of the most consistent batters for the Sydney Sixers in the Women’s Big Bash League, further cementing her reputation as one of the game’s greatest all-rounders.
