Straight 'Schutter' earns Perry praise

Ellyse Perry has hailed the impact of pace teammate Megan Schutt on Australia's ODI series win over India, noting the spearhead often appears to be bowling on a different wicket, such has been her form in recent times.

Amid Nicole Bolton's purple patch with the bat, Beth Mooney's scintillating half-century and Jess Jonassen's bags of wickets, it could almost be easy to overlook the contribution of Schutt in Australia's opening two ODI victories.

But on two very good batting decks, Schutt has been miserly. After taking 1-37 in the series opener on Monday, the 25-year-old was even more effective in Thursday's match.

Three of her first four overs were maidens. At the end of her first five, Schutt had figures of 0-7. All in the face of in-form India opener Smriti Mandhana, who was scoring boundaries at will between Schutt's overs.

She was crucial in restricting Mandhana's opening partner Punam Raut, who scratched her way to 27 from 61, consequently compounding the pressure on Mandhana, whose pursuit of the regular boundaries to contain a climbing run rate finally drew a false shot in the 18th over – where she was fittingly caught by Schutt.

The South Australian was called upon by skipper Lanning to pile the pressure on India throughout the hosts' innings and was finally rewarded in her final over with the wicket of No.9 batter Pooja Vastrakar.

She finished with 1-24 from 10 overs, a sole boundary and one wide the only blemishes on her record.

"Schutt did a good job to hold down one end in those first ten overs," Perry noted after Thursday's game.

"Smriti in particular batted really well and took the game to us but the luxury of runs on the board means there's always pressure to keep the strike rate up and that showed at different periods of India's innings when the run rate got on top of them."

Schutt rose to No.3 in the ICC's ODI bowling rankings late last year and was unlucky to not be named Player of the Series in the Ashes after taking 18 wickets at 15.16 in seven matches across all three formats.

"Megan's been incredible over the last 12 months, she was particularly good in the Ashes and she's been our main strike bowler, our leading pace bowler for that time," Perry added.

"I think she really sets tone for us early, you think she is playing on a different wicket at times because you look at everyone else's figures today and she's the stand out in terms of economy rates.

"She puts so much pressure on the batters, it's been awesome to see her play so well and so consistently.

"It shows how much she's matured in her cricket in the last few years."

At a time where pace off the ball is increasingly employed as a tactic to constrain batters who are able to hit harder and farther than ever before, Schutt's ability to adapt is setting a blueprint for other pace bowlers, Perry believes.

"The batting has come a long way in the last couple of years and there are some very powerful and potent players out there now," she said.

"But the next challenge is for female pace bowlers is to improve and take that step forward so we're competing on par with the batters.

"Megan's done that and is leading the way.

"You play on a lot of flat wickets in different places so you've got to have other skills. That's what's been shown the last couple of years, it's good to bowl good pace and have swing, but you need variation as well."

Australia now have two days to recover and prepare for the third and final ODI. Despite being a dead rubber in the context of the series, there are still two vital Women's Championship points – which determine the teams that automatically qualify for the 2021 World Cup – on offer.

A win on Sunday would see the Southern Stars draw level with New Zealand at the top of the table on 10 points after two of seven rounds.

Commonwealth Bank Tour of India

Australia ODI squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Belinda Vakarewa, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Australia T20 squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Naomi Stalenberg, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

India ODI squad: Mithali Raj (Captain), Harmanpreet Kaur (vice-captain), Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Sushma Verma, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Shikha Pandey, Sukanya Parida, Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (Captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Rumeli Dhar, Mona Meshram.

England T20I squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Katie George, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Anya Shrubsole, Bryony Smith, Nat Sciver, Fran Wilson, Danni Wyatt.

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by 321 runs. Report

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by seven wickets. Report

ODI series

First ODI Australia won by eight wickets Scorecard

Second ODI Australia won by 60 runs Scorecard 

Third ODI Reliance Stadium, Vadodara, March 18

T20I tri-series

First T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 22

Second T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 23

Third T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 25

Fourth T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, March 26

Fifth T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 28

Sixth T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 29

Final Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 31