Captain Harmanpreet Kaur led from the front with a blistering half-century, while openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma laid a solid platform as India posted a competitive 170/4 against Australia in their must-win Group A match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 at Lord's on Sunday.
After winning the toss, Harmanpreet elected to bat first on a batting-friendly surface, with India needing a victory to keep their semi-final hopes alive. Openers Smriti Mandhana (38) and Shafali Verma (34) gave the side a positive start, taking advantage of the Powerplay with aggressive strokeplay and quick running between the wickets. After six overs, India were at 43/0.
Shafali looked in fine touch early, striking a six off Ash Gardner, while Mandhana played the supporting role as the duo laid a solid foundation. Although Australia managed to break the opening stand in the ninth over through Sophie Molineux, India had already established a solid platform at 74/1 after 10 overs. However, Smriti Mandhana soon followed as she suffered a run-out in the 12th over.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur joined Jemimah Rodrigues in the middle, and the pair steadied the innings before gradually increasing the scoring rate. The duo rotated the strike effectively, punished loose deliveries, and ensured India did not lose wickets in clusters against a disciplined Australian attack.
Harmanpreet and Rodrigues combined caution with aggression, frustrating the Australian bowlers while keeping the scoreboard moving at over seven runs an over. Their unbeaten partnership guided India to 147 for 2 in 19 overs.
Notably, Rodrigues, who was playing at 34 off 28 balls, was retired hurt. India finished big in the last over as skipper Harmanpreet slammed three consecutive sixes before being dismissed on the second last ball of the innings, off Molineux's over. Harmanpreet scored 56 runs off 27 balls, including six boundaries and three sixes. New batter Deepti Sharma struck a four on the only ball she played as India got 23 runs off the final over to finish at 170/4 in 20 overs.
The match carries significant importance for India's World Cup campaign following South Africa's earlier win over Bangladesh. A victory over the unbeaten Australians would guarantee India a place in the semi-finals. (ANI)
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