Australia's returning great Ellyse Perry has underlined her enduring excellence with a matchwinning innings to put her side back in charge of the T20I series in Mumbai.

While the veteran all-rounder proved as commanding as ever, it was rising teenage quick Darcie Brown who shone with the ball to ensure Australia sealed a 21-run win at Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday that puts them 2-1 ahead in the five-match series.

Perry, playing her first T20I series for 14 months, hammered a brilliant 75 off 47 balls — the highest score of her international short-format career, carved out when Australia looked in a real spot of bother.

"This is an amazing team to be a part of and any opportunity you get to play a role is really nice," Perry said.

"I really enjoyed the opportunity and had a lot of fun out there."

Perry, still ODI cricket's highest-ranked all-rounder, had taken a couple of crucial early wickets in Australia's opening-game win last Friday and this time, in her first knock in a T20I since October 2021, she came to her side's aid early on.

Fresh from their first defeat all year in a super-over classic on Sunday that levelled the series at 1-1, Australia suffered a woeful start.

Captain Alyssa Healy was lbw to Renuka Singh in the opening over and Tahlia McGrath, just installed as the world's top-ranked T20I batter, followed next, bowled by Anjali Sarvani.

But the 32-year-old Perry, back in the fold after missing out on T20 selection at the Ashes and Commonwealth Games, reminded everyone why she is one of Australia's all-time greats as she wrested back the initiative, racing to her 50 off 33 balls.

The Sydneysider, who eventually fell after hitting nine fours and three sixes, had early help from Beth Mooney (30), who was dismissed for the first time in the series after scoring 201 runs across the three matches.

Grace Harris's rollicking cameo — three sixes in a 17-ball 41 — also helped Perry take the game away from the hosts, pushing Australia to an above-par 8-172.

"The impact that Harris had was remarkable," Healy said.

Typically, Perry preferred to praise others rather than herself.

"If you look at Grace's innings, that was so important in the context of the match and the way she played," she said.

"Grace is an amazing player — you just look at her strength and she can stay and deliver like nobody else probably can in the game."