London, June 28 -- 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 G...