Megan Schutt's career-best haul of 5 for 15, followed by a brisk half-century from Ellyse Perry the opener, helped Australia crush Pakistan by 8 wickets in the T20I series opener in Sydney on Tuesday (January 24).

Schutt and Perry picked two apice to trigger a dramatic top-order collapse after Pakistan opted to bat first. The visitors lost four wickets for mere five runs and a little later, Nida Dar as well - to Alana King - slipping to 57/5 in the 11th over. Ayesha Naseem led the counterattack with three sixes in her enterprising knock of 24 (20 balls) as she combined with Omaaima Sohail, the top-scorer of Pakistan's batting innings, for a brisk 37-run stand that took them closer to triple figures.

King once again provided the breakthrough to end the budding partnership with Naseem's wicket, and Schutt just ran through the lower-order which also collapsed from 94/5 to 118 all out by the last delivery of their innings.

A target of 119 was never going to sufficiently test Australia's batting depth. Perry led the chase as the opener, hitting a 40-ball unbeaten 57 that included seven fours and a six. While skipper Meg Lanning and Tahlia McGrath chipped in with contrasting knocks of 14 each, Ash Gardner forged the unbroken 64-run partnership with Perry that saw the hosts over the line in just the 14th over.