ICC Women T20 World Cup 2026: Perry, Gardner Fifties Help AUS Trounce Harmanpreet's IND

The Australian women’s cricket team beat their Indian counterparts at the Lord’s in the Group Stage encounter of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup on Sunday as half-centuries from Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner rendered Harmanpreet Kaur’s half-century in vain.

Perry produced 56 off 38 deliveries, while Gardner remained unbeaten on 53 off 29 to guide Australia past the 171-run target with six wickets and as many ball to spare.

Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and opted to bat against the Australian women as Smriti Mandhana and Shefali Verma added a 66-run opening stand before the latter was removed by Sophie Molineux for 34 off 26 deliveries.

Mandhana was run out shortly after for 38 off 37 by Lucy Hamilton. Harmanpreet and Jemimah steadied the innings

with a 64 run stand for the third wicket before the youngster was forced to retire out for 34 off 28. The skipper held anchor with a quality half-century as her 27-ball 58-run knock helped India to a total of 170 in their 20 over quota.

Renuka Singh gave the women in blue a rapid start to the second innings as she dismissed Aussie opener Georgia Voll for just 4 runs off 2 deliveries to give India an early break through.

Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney stitched up a 50-run stand for the second wicket before Sree Charani got rid of the former for 24 off 25 balls.

Deepti Sharma removed Mooney for 22 iff 20 as Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner steadied the chase for the Australian women.

The middle order-pair settled in incredibly well to steer the Aussie chase with a half-century each as they took the game away from the Indian women’s unit.

Perry was sent back to the hut by Charani for her second wicket of the day, but the damage had already been done as Gardner put the finishing touches on the chase with Georgia Wareham, also unbeaten on 4 off 2, for company at the other end of the crease.