All-round Perry's immediate impact in Aussie T20 return

Ellyse Perry is relishing a return to Indian conditions after the Australian allrounder made an immediate impact on her recall to Australia's T20I XI in Mumbai on Friday.

Playing her first international 20-over game in 14 months, Perry bowled just two overs in the first T20I at DY Patil Stadium but those 12 deliveries changed the course of the match after India opener Shafali Verma made an aggressive start.

She had Verma caught behind for 21, then delivered a wicket maiden that removed Jemimah Rodrigues without scoring.

For an Australian outfit assessing their pace options ahead of February's T20 World Cup, and with Darcie Brown missing the opening game due to illness, it was a welcome sight.

Perry was consigned for the sidelines through the T20I leg of the Ashes in January, July's tour of Ireland and the Commonwealth Games in August; squeezed out of the XI as Australia opted for more aggressive strikers of the ball.

Image Id: 17B4FA734EF44B9185E7CD799EB1B3D9 Image Caption: Perry celebrates a wicket in the opening T20I against India on Friday // Getty

She was only available to be selected as a batter during those winter tours as she continued her recovery from a back injury, but after returning to allrounder status in the Weber WBBL, she says tweaks made her to action and run up are paying off.

"It's been nice to have a few days preparation over here and I thought it was actually pretty good conditions for the quicks last night so it was lots of fun," Perry said in Mumbai on Saturday, following Australia's emphatic nine-wicket win the night before.

"It feels like (my bowling) is progressing all the time, and there's always something to work on which is awesome.

"I had a chance to work with (Sixers assistant) Grant Lambert over the WBBL which was awesome and now Scottie (Prestwidge) our fast bowling coach here with the group.

"And then playing games you get to see how that's tracking.

"(There have been) a few little tinkers and things that I've been working on, part of it's my run up and approach and just the way that I'm landing at the crease.

"Hopefully that's a bit of a two-fold thing where it protects me from getting injured but also hopefully has a benefit on how the ball comes out too."

Perry and Annabel Sutherland were the two players brought into the Aussie XI in place of the retired Rachael Haynes and absent Meg Lanning, but neither were required to bat as Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath chased down a record target of 173 with 11 balls to spare.

Perry was listed at No.5 in Friday's XI and came into the tour off a solid WBBL|08 campaign which saw her finish second on the runs table with 408 at a strike rate of 119, the first time since WBBL|04 she has scored at better than a run a ball.

She said the depth in Australia's batting line-up, even without Haynes or Lanning, gave them the ability to play with freedom, a chance she will embrace when she is called upon after several strong hit-outs at training.

"I've loved the nets, it's so much fun batting over here, both in the games but also at training," she said.

"You've always got a thousand net bowlers which is just nice for people who like to hit a lot of balls.

"The girls that were in the team last night and those that just missed out, we've got a lot of depth.

"So I think it's a great opportunity for people to play with lots of freedom and just take on the challenge when they get it."

India were unable to defend their total of 5-172 as Australia's top three capitalised on excellent batting conditions, a fast outfield and the arrival of dew during the second half of the game.

Those factors will provide a significant test for the Australian bowling attack should their positions be reversed in Sunday's second T20I, and Perry said the side was up for the challenge.

"It'll be super tricky," she said.

"We saw that last night how easy it was to catch up at the back end especially.

Image Id: 95E37223D31D47B18DAD40FCD00F914B Image Caption: Perry presents Aussie debutant Kim Garth with her cap ahead of the opening T20I against India on Friday // Getty

"I think 10 (runs an over) for the last five or six overs is certainly not out of reach … really encouragingly, there's a couple of things to learn from last night, whether it's just angles in the field, or slight changes in our execution.

"But I think that's the whole point of the challenge of this tour, being exposed to different positions in matches."

Perry presented debutant Kim Garth with T20I cap No.58 ahead of Friday's game and having played alongside the former Irish allrounder at the Sixers in the first three editions of the WBBL and more recently at Victoria, she was thrilled to see Garth complete her remarkable journey to the Australian XI.

"It was awesome, Kim is such a wonderful person and it's been awesome to have her on tour," Perry said.

"I think just her story is incredibly unique and special and she deserves absolutely everything that's come her way given how much she's sacrificed to chase her dream.

"She's also just a world-class bowler and we've known that since she's played for Ireland for a number of years and got a number of us out, so to have her on our side is really good."

Australia's T20I tour of India 

1st T20I: Australia won by 9 wickets

2nd T20I: December 11, D.Y. Patil Stadium, Mumbai (Dec 12, 12.30am AEDT) 

3rd T20I: December 14, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai (Dec 15, 12.30am AEDT) 

4th T20I: December 17, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai (Dec 18, 12.30am AEDT) 

5th T20I: December 20, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai (Dec 21, 12.30am AEDT) 

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland

India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Devika Vaidya, S Meghana, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol