During Australia’s thrilling world-record win over India in Visakhapatnam, Ellyse Perry found herself having something of an “out-of-body experience”.

Needing to prove to herself she could return to the middle to continue batting, having retired hurt on 32 with cramp, Perry had decamped to the ACA-VDCA Stadium car park to test her ability to run between the wickets – no doubt to the surprise and amusement of any passing fans not glued to the enthralling chase playing out on field.

“This is not the first time on this trip I’ve taken a bit of a siesta halfway through my innings … and the real out-of-body experience was probably when I was warming up in the car park to check I could actually run,” Perry said in a team social media video following the game.  

Speaking after a group of Australian players took part in the ICC and UNICEF Cricket4Good clinic in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, Perry brushed her comeback off as “not that big of a deal”, adding “(Our physio) Kate Beerworth and Jordy Stares, our S&C (strength and conditioning), really looked after me and it was totally fine in the end.”

It is just one of the unusual experiences the Australian squad have embraced on a tour where they are expecting the unexpected, as they plot their way through unfamiliar territory in India and Sri Lanka

On Wednesday, Australia will mark five weeks since they left their home ports in mid-September, and all going to plan, their tour will continue for another three.

The three-game ODI series that preceded the ICC tournament was just a taste of what’s since followed; there was a record defeat in New Chandigarh followed just days later by a record-equalling total of 412 in Delhi in response.

Australia’s three completed ODI World Cup games have thrown up wild twists and turns – Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney’s rescue jobs against New Zealand and Pakistan, Kim Garth’s three vital knocks, Alana King’s record-setting unbeaten 51 from No.10.

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Then there was that Alyssa Healy hundred and world-record chase against India, featuring Perry’s innings of two parts, which saw her resume in the 44th over and ultimately hit a six from the final ball of the 49th over to seal victory.

“I think we’ve come into this tournament knowing that it would throw up a whole heap of different scenarios for us,” Perry continued.

“I guess you can’t plan for every situation, but you can certainly have an open mindset to adapt to things that you don’t see coming.

“And I think we’ve done that really well, which is great.

“It does hold you in good stead throughout the tournament, and as long as you learn from it and take things into the next game that you can improve on, and also not go back to the same mistakes, that’s really crucial.

“So that’s a big one for us. I think it’s been really cool, it’s kept every game really exciting, it’s a great spectacle to watch.”

As with any long period on the road, there have been usual niggles, illnesses and mishaps, the warm welcomes and fanaticism of local fans, the chance to sightsee – and locate the best coffee – in new places and make friends with creatures great and small on both sides of the Palk Straight.

So far, Australia have taken it all in their stride as they ready themselves for a demanding end of the round stage, with games against Bangladesh, England and South Africa to come, then, hopefully, finals to follow.

“Off the field, it’s been really nice to share the experience,” Perry continued.

“We’ve travelled around quite a lot to quite a few different cities, some that none of us have been to before.

“We’ve got lots of different activities on the go, but also a nice blend of just being able to relax and recharge when we needed to. It’s been really, really good fun so far.” 

Next up is Bangladesh, an unfamiliar foe Australia have met just four times in one-day internationals.

They’ve looked the most likely of the lower-ranked teams to cause an upset so far, having England in trouble at 5-78 before Heather Knight saved the day, while they were a handful of dropped catches away from upsetting South Africa in Monday’s final-over thriller.

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Australia had their own wobble against the Tigresses during the 2022 World Cup in New Zealand, when on a wild and windy Wellington day they were reduced to 4-41 in pursuit of a target of 136 at The Basin before Mooney steered them safely home.

“It’s going to be a really tricky match,” Perry said of the challenge Bangladesh will pose.

“We certainly saw that in Colombo against Pakistan and I’ve got no doubt if we had to go on against Sri Lanka, that would have been a really tricky match too.

“(Bangladesh) have some great weapons with the ball, also they’re an unknown team for us, we don’t play them a lot.

“So I think all those things taken into account, we’ve got another great challenge, which is really cool.”

2025 Women’s ODI World Cup

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

Australia’s group stage matches

October 1: Australia beat New Zealand by 89 runs

October 4: v Sri Lanka: Abandoned without a ball bowled

October 8: Australia beat Pakistan by 107 runs

October 12: Australia beat India by 3 wickets

October 16: v Bangladesh, ACA-VDCA Stadium Visakhapatnam, 8:30pm AEDT

October 22: v England, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT

October 25: v South Africa, Holkar Stadium, Indore, 8:30pm AEDT

Finals

Semi-final 1: Guwahati or Colombo*, October 29, 8:30pm AEDT

Semi-final 2: Mumbai, October 30, 8:30pm AEDT

Final: Mumbai or Colombo*, November 2, 8:30pm AEDT

All matches to be broadcast exclusively live and free on Prime Video.

* All games involving Pakistan to be played in Colombo, including the semi-final and final if they qualify