After winning the toss, captain Harmanpreet Kaur elected to bat first on a fresh Edgbaston pitch. The decision looked shaky within the first four overs. Shafali Verma, fresh from her Player of the Match performance in the warm‑up against West Indies, launched the first ball of the innings for a six over midwicket — but fell in the same over, caught at long‑off for 6. Jemimah Rodrigues then edged Fatima Sana to the wicketkeeper for a duck. India were 18/2 in 3.3 overs. Pakistan’s captain Fatima Sana was ecstatic, sprinting across the pitch in celebration.

But then came the stand that changed the innings. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur added 91 runs for the third wicket in just 10.2 overs. Mandhana was elegance personified: she drove through covers, cut late, and lofted spinners inside out. She reached her 34th T20I fifty off 36 balls, her first in a World Cup since 2018. Harmanpreet played the perfect foil, rotating strike and accelerating when needed. The pair neutralised Pakistan’s potent spin attack of Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan, picking singles at will and punishing loose deliveries.

Just as India looked set to post 180+, a mini‑collapse struck. Harmanpreet was dismissed for 36 off 31 in the 14th over. Mandhana fell for 68 in the 15th, followed by Bharti Fulmali for a golden duck. India were 129/5 after 17 overs, and the momentum had shifted back to Pakistan. Then Richa Ghosh walked in. What followed was a masterclass in death‑over hitting: 34 runs off just 17 balls, including five boundaries and a towering six over long‑on. She added 41 runs in the last three overs, powering India to a formidable 170/6. Pakistan conceded 20 wides in total — a sloppy bowling effort that cost them dearly.

Chasing 171, Pakistan needed a strong start. But the in-form Muneeba Ali, who had scored a blistering 64 against Sri Lanka in the warm‑up, was run out for 4 after a horrible mix-up with Iram Javed. Javed herself fell soon after, caught behind off Renuka Singh for 1. Pakistan were 10/2.

Bismah Maroof and Omaima Sohail tried to rebuild, adding 34 runs. But then came Deepti Sharma. The off‑spinner, who had been economical in the warm‑ups, produced a spell of breathtaking accuracy. She first had Sohail stumped by Richa Ghosh for 16. Two balls later, she trapped Aliya Riaz lbw for 0. Pakistan were 55/4.

Fatima Sana, Pakistan’s captain, tried to counterattack with three boundaries off Radha Yadav. But Deepti returned to remove her for 13, brilliantly caught at long‑on by Bharti Fulmali. Then she dismissed Tuba Hassan for 2 and Nashra Sandhu for 0 in the same over, completing her five‑wicket haul. The crowd rose to applaud as Deepti soaked in the moment. Pakistan were bowled out for 106 in 17 overs. It was only the second instance of an Indian taking five wickets in a Women’s T20 World Cup match, and the best bowling figures by an Indian in the tournament’s history.

With this victory, India top Group A with two points and a net run rate of +2.875. They will next face West Indies on June 18, followed by Sri Lanka on June 20 and England on June 22. The top two teams from each group advance to the semi‑finals. Pakistan, meanwhile, will look to bounce back against England on June 16.