Sydney - Leg-spinner Poonam Yadav bowled India to an upset 17-run win over defending champions Australia in the opening game of the women's Twenty20 World Cup in Sydney on Friday.

India were restricted to 132 for four off their 20 overs before a half-century from Australian opener Alyssa Healy appeared to have the home team on track for victory.

But then Yadav was brought into the attack.

Voted India's top female player last year, she bagged the crucial wickets of Healy, Rachael Haynes and Ellyse Perry, and was desperately unlucky not to grab a hat-trick in her match-winning 4-19.