It was the partnership that crushed the Indian dream.

Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner would surely be cherishing that remarkable 100-run stand that came off just 57 balls. Chasing 171, Australia was 68 for three in the ninth over when the two magnificent all-rounders came together.

The game was far from over at that stage. But once they settled in, and started to pace the chase wonderfully, there was only going to be one outcome.

Gardner said it was one of the best partnerships that she had been involved in at this level. “I’ve played cricket with Pez (Perry) for well over 10 years now, so we have a great understanding of each other’s games,” she said. And, I guess we have got that trust in each other that whatever we say in the middle. We were really specific and deliberate in the way that we were speaking out in the middle today. There are not too many other people within this unit that I’ve played that much cricket with.”

A little earlier, Perry spoke of how much she enjoyed with Gardner. And as is her wont, she heaped praise on her colleague. The humble all-rounder, rated by many as the greatest female cricketer ever, is never comfortable talking about herself.

“The way Ash came out and her approach to her innings was really important in the context of the game,” said Perry. “I thought she shifted the momentum beautifully. We felt it was possible to accelerate through the middle and back end there.”

Published on Jun 30, 2026