India women's cricket team began their preparation for the Women's T20 World Cup with a five-wicket win over England women in the first match of the Women's T20 tri-nation series at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.
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JOB DONE! India women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur seals the run-chase with a six off Katherine Brunt, taking her team to a five-wicket win with three balls to spare. Harmanpreet remains unbeaten on 42 off 34 balls, while Deepti Sharma made an eight-ball 12.
Eleven runs off the 19th over, India women need six runs off the last over for victory. Harmanpreet Kaur used the pace offered by Natalie Sciver to glide the ball past short third man for a four early in the over, which Harmanpreet and Deepti cashed in on through some intense running between the wickets. Katherine Brunt to bowl the final over.
India women need 17 runs off 12 balls. Deepti Sharma struck a four in the 18th over to ease some pressure off her captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who's batting on 29 but been deprived of the strike somewhat in the last couple of overs. Natalie Sciver to bowl the 19th over.
WICKET! Katherine Brunt removes Taniya Bhatia, out for 12, India women 122 for five after 17 overs. Deepti Sharma joins captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who's batting on 28. Will she go for the big shots or hold herself back? Katherine Brunt, who has figures of 3-0-22-2, has an over up her sleeve and could hold the key to the result of this match.
Eight runs off the 16th over, India women need 30 runs off 24 balls . Taniya Bhatia gives the impression she's been asked to play her shots with captain Harmanpreet Kaur perhaps looking to bat through. Katherine Brunt's into the attack and will bowl the 17th and 19th (if the match goes there).
The final quarter of the India women's innings coming up! The equation: India women need 38 runs off 30 balls. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur is batting on 26, while Taniya Bhatia has just joined her.
WICKET! Veda Krishnamurthy's struggle in the middle comes to an end, falls for a 10-ball 7, out stumped off the bowling of Sophie Ecclestone. Wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia joins captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who holds the key to the run-chase.
India women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur sweeps Sarah Glenn for a couple of fours, taking herself to a run-a-ball 19 and India women to 98 for three after 13 overs . It releases some pressure off India while allowing Veda Krishnamurthy to grow into her innings.
WICKET! Jemimah Rodrigues falls for Katherine Brunt's short-pitched bowling, is out for 26, India women 82 for three. It's short enough for entice Jemimah to play the pull shot, with the mid-on up in the circle, but the ball bounces awkwardly, hits high on the bat and it's straight to Lauren Winfield at mid-on. Veda Krishnamurthy is the new batter in.
At the end of 10 overs, India women are 80 for two , requiring a further 68 runs for victory. Jemimah Rodrigues is established at the crease, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur has exercised restraint at the start of her innings. Both are capable of finding the boundary while happy to pick the singles on offer.
WICKET: Shafali Verma holes out to deep midwicket off the bowling of Heather Knight, out for 30, India women 65 for two. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur joins Jemimah Rodrigues, with India women in control of the required run-rate. It needs 83 more runs off 12 overs.
END OF POWERPLAY: It's been an eventful six overs and India women are 52 for one . Shafali Verma (batting on 28) has cashed in on the field restrictions by lofting the ball every time she's been afforded the length, while Jemimah Rodrigues (batting on 7) is growing into her innings.
Natalie Sciver picks the wicket of Smriti Mandhana in her first over but concedes 11 runs, taking India women to 37 for one after four overs. Shafali Verma shows her range with flat-batted hits for fours straight down the ground. The first of those was the most special with Shafali clearing her front leg and swatting a length ball down the ground. The second was more about timing and placement, while the result was the same.
WICKET! Smriti Mandhana is out for 15, Natalie Sciver picks the wicket. It's a hard-length ball that gets big on Mandhana, who was through her shot and ends up skying it. Lauren Winfield takes the catch at mid-on.
Sixteen runs off Katherine Brunt's first over, India women 22 for no loss after two overs. Smriti Mandhana brings her bottom hand into play to pull Brunt away for a couple of fours square on the onside before a lofted drive in front of square for her third four in the over. Brunt then oversteps but Shafali Verma doesn't make the most of the free-hit.
NOT OUT! Huge moment in the match, and it's Smriti Mandhana who survives. A loose shot outside off-stump is initially caught by England women's wicketkeeper Amy Jones, but the ball pops out of her gloves while she was in the act of completing the catch. The on-field umpire had initially given Mandhana out and the Indian batter was on her way out while Jemimah Rodrigues had walked out to join Shafali Verma. The third umpire then intervened, the decision was referred with the soft signal as out, and the third umpire ruled not out after watching the replay.
India women innings: Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana begin India women's run-chase, with left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone set to bowl the first over for England women.
END OF INNINGS: A couple of frugal overs from the Indian spinners at the death keeps England women to 147 for seven in 20 overs. Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont falling in back-to-back overs didn't help England's push for a strong finish, however, it scored 88 runs in the back 10 of the innings. India women need 148 runs to win.
WICKET: Timely for India! Tammy Beaumont, the other set batsman, is stumped by Taniya Bhatia off the bowling of Deepti Sharma. Out for 37. It was in the blockhole, Beaumont got her bat to it and the ball bounced up for Bhatia to collect and, with perhaps Beaumont unaware where the ball had gone, to whip the bails off.
WICKET: England women's captain Heather Knight falls for a 44-ball 67, with Shikha Pandey breaking the 69-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Knight tried to deposit a fuller-length ball over midwicket, gets too much elevation and not enough distance, and Jemimah Rodrigues hangs on. Katherine Brunt is the new batter in.
INJURY UPDATE: It's been reported that India women's seamer Pooja Vastrakar has injured her left hamstring and will take no further part in today's match.
FIFTY for Heather Knight! A tap on the onside and the England women's team captain brings up her half-century off 38 balls. The job's not done yet, though, with a chance to take her team past 150 in the company of Tammy Beaumont. England women 109 for four after 16 overs.
Ten runs off the 15th over and England women are now 105 for four! Tammy Beaumont slog swept left-arm spinner Radha Yadav for a four behind square on the legside before her reverse paddle beat backward point and third man for another four. A couple of singles in between and it's a big over for England women. India desperately needs a wicket, captain Harmanpreet Kaur goes to left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad, who has figures of 2-0-8-2!
OUCH! An injury scare for the India women's team! Pooja Vastrakar, fielding at deep midwicket, slid to stop the ball from reaching the boundary. She stays down on the turf and has since been helped off the field by her team-mates.
A flurry of fours in the three overs since Fran Wilson's dismissal have taken England women to 81 for four after 13 overs. Heather Knight (batting on 43) and Tammy Beaumont (batting on 7) have added 22 runs for the fifth wicket, Knight, in particular, putting her foot down against the Indian spinners and finding the boundary with the conventional and reverse sweeps.
WICKET! Shikha Pandey castles Fran Wilson with a length ball. A lengthy check for possible no-ball ensues, replays suggest Pandey didn't have much of her heel behind the crease but gets the benefit of the doubt and Wilson, out for 7, continues her walk back to the dugout. England women 59 for four after 10 overs. Tammy Beaumount is the new batter in, joining Heather Knight, who needs to bat through the innings to take England women to a good score.
At the end of nine overs, England women are 55 for three. Harmanpreet Kaur comes into the attack and her first over costs 10 runs. Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav removed Natalie Sciver just when a partnership was starting to grow. Fran Wilson has joined captain Heather Knight, who's batting on 25.
END OF POWERPLAY: Deepti Sharma's first over goes for eight runs, and England women have added 37 runs for the loss of two wickets in the powerplay. England captain Heather Knight gets a life after being dropped on the midwicket boundary by Jemimah Rodrigues.
DROPPED! India captain Harmanpreet Kaur drops Natalie Sciver! It's a full-blooded drive, doesn't get the elevation she was looking for and Hamanpreet, who was a few yards inside the 30-yard circle at mid-off, doesn't hold on. Tough chance, and the ball races away to the boundary. England women 22 for two after four overs.
TWO IN TWO! Rajeshwari Gayakwad strikes again, this time with the first ball of her second over. Danielle Wyatt steps out and tries to loft the left-arm spinner over the infield. Doesn't get to the pitch of the ball and, with a bit of turn, Gayakwad finds the outside edge, caught at short third by Shikha Pandey. England women's captain Heather Knight joins Natalie Sciver. England 9 for two.
OUT! Rajeshwari Gayakwad strikes in the first over, removing Amy Jones for 1, caught by Harmanpreet Kaur. England women 4 for one after one over.
Amy Jones and Danielle Wyatt open the batting for England women, while Rajeshwari Gayakwad opens the bowling for India women. Here we go!
Toss update: India women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Playing XIs
India women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Veda Krishnamurthy, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Radha Yadav
England women: Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones (wk), Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Winfield, Fran Wilson, Katherine Brunt, Anya Shrubsole, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn
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