Annabel Sutherland and Ashleigh Gardner rode their luck amidst an unexpected onslaught from Arundhati Reddy to lift Australia to 6-298 in their women’s ODI clash with India at the WACA Ground.
Sutherland was dropped on 12 and 24 on her way to posting 110 off 95 balls in 40-degree heat on Wednesday.
It marked her second century at the WACA Ground this year, following on from her 210 in Australia’s Test win against South Africa in February.
Australia slumped to 4-78 in the 17th over on Wednesday on the back of a stunning spell from fifth-gamer Reddy (4-26 from 10 overs).
It should have been 5-82 – only for Gardner (50 off 64 balls) to receive lives on consecutive deliveries when she was on just three.
Gardner was dropped by Jemimah Rodrigues, and then one ball later given out LBW – only to have the decision reversed on review.
That robbed Reddy of what would have been her maiden five-wicket haul.
Gardner went on to make her sixth half-century, while Sutherland did even better with her second ODI ton.
Sutherland was on 93 with five balls remaining in the innings.
She struck Deepti Sharma for a four and a six in the next two deliveries to bring up her ton.
Sutherland was dropped on the boundary on the delivery after posting her century, and she selflessly ran herself out attempting an ambitious second run with just two balls remaining in the innings.
She finished with nine fours and four sixes to her name.
Australia are 2-0 up and are aiming for a 3-0 clean sweep of the series ahead of their ODI tour of NZ.
Reddy wasn’t selected for the first two games of the series, but the 27-year-old Indian was a destructive force at the WACA.
Openers Phoebe Litchfield (25 off 33 balls) and Georgia Voll (26 off 30) guided Australia to 0-58 from 10 overs after the hosts lost the toss and were sent in to bat in the stifling Perth heat.
But Reddy’s introduction sparked a collapse of 4-20, with the Indian pace bowler claiming all four wickets.
Reddy’s first wicket on Australian soil was a memorable one, with the ball swinging in beautifully to clean bowl Voll.
Litchfield fell three balls later when she edged one behind, and Perry’s bid to post back-to-back centuries ended early when she was bowled by Reddy for four.
Beth Mooney was sent packing for 10 when she edged Reddy behind, but India’s sloppy fielding cost them dearly as both Sutherland and Gardner were let off the hook multiple times on the way to their big scores.
