Veteran all-rounder Ellyse Perry became Australia’s highest run-scorer in women’s Test cricket on Saturday during the one-off pink-ball match against India at the WACA Ground. Perry surpassed Karen Rolton’s record of 1,002 runs, reaching the milestone with a single before driving a boundary, eventually finishing with 76 runs for a career total of 1,006 in the longer format.

Speaking at the tea break, Perry said she thoroughly enjoyed her time at the crease alongside young teammate Annabel Sutherland. “It was a really enjoyable session out there batting with Annabel. She’s just so classy. Being at the other end watching her do her thing was absolutely awesome,” she said, noting the partnership had been a key moment in the match.

The duo added 128 runs for the third wicket, shifting momentum in Australia’s favour and giving them a 19-run lead at the end of the first session. Perry reflected on the match conditions, saying that while the previous day had been tricky, the morning session allowed the pair to settle into their rhythm. “It probably didn’t seam around quite as much today… you could trust your shots a bit more,” she said, adding that the wicket’s increasing spin promised an interesting contest for the remainder of the game.

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Perry, 35, also highlighted Australia’s deep batting line-up as a strength. “We’ve got such a deep batting order… Hopefully over the next couple of sessions we can put down a really strong marker that gives us a good chance to be attacking with the ball later on,” she said, praising Sutherland’s performance and noting the excitement of building momentum as a team.

With 39 Test wickets to her name, Perry now stands as the only woman cricketer to have scored more than 1,000 runs and taken over 30 wickets in women’s Test cricket, cementing her status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. Her achievement comes during a period of increasing attention on women’s cricket and the growing popularity of pink-ball Tests in Australia.

The match continues to provide a platform for young talent alongside experienced players, with Perry and Sutherland’s partnership underscoring Australia’s advantage in both batting depth and on-field leadership. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see how the team builds on their early momentum in the remaining sessions.

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