Georgia Voll limped off late in India’s innings after a fielding mishap in which she appeared to hyper-extend her knee, but it did not look serious.
Although Australia were butter-fingered in the field and they suffered a top-order collapse, Sutherland’s second ODI century and handy scores from Gardner (50 off 64 balls) and Tahlia McGrath (56no off 50 balls) ensured the hosts had an easy win.
It marked Sutherland’s second century at the Waca this year, following on from her 210 in Australia’s Test win against South Africa in February.
But it was far from smooth sailing for the hosts.
Australia slumped to 4-78 in the 17th over on the back of a stunning spell from Arundhati Reddy (4-26 from 10 overs).
It should have been 5-82 – only for Gardner to receive lives on consecutive deliveries when she was on just three.
She was dropped by Jemimah Rodrigues, and then one ball later given out LBW – only to have the decision reversed on review.
That robbed Reddy of what would have been her maiden five-wicket haul.
Gardner went on to make her sixth half-century, while Sutherland did even better in a knock that featured nine fours and four sixes.
Openers Phoebe Litchfield (25 off 33 balls) and Voll (26 off 30) guided Australia to 0-58 from 10 overs after the hosts lost the toss and were sent in to bat in the stifling Perth heat.
But Reddy’s introduction sparked a collapse of 4-20, with the Indian pace bowler claiming all four wickets.
Reddy’s first wicket on Australian soil was a memorable one, with the ball swinging in beautifully to clean bowl Voll.
Litchfield fell three balls later when she edged one behind, and Perry’s bid to post back-to-back centuries ended early when she was bowled by Reddy for four.
Beth Mooney was sent packing for 10 when she edged Reddy behind, but India’s sloppy fielding cost them dearly as both Sutherland and Gardner were let off the hook multiple times on the way to their big scores.