Match Center

That's it then from this game. India Women have the 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. The second game will prove to be vital as one team could seal the series and the other could level it. The next game will be played on Wednesday, the 21st of September in Canterbury. That game will begin at 5.30 pm IST (12 pm GMT) but our build-up will begin sooner. Do join us then. Take care and goodbye!

Smriti Mandhana (91 off 99 balls) is the Player of the Match. She says that she enjoyed her batting but she would have enjoyed it more if she would have stayed till the end. Adds that the ODI format is a natural game for her as it's more about timing the ball, in T20I she needs to keep a check on her strike rate. Mentions that it's good that Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and they got to assess the wicket early, so she planned her batting accordingly. Concludes by dedicating her award to Jhulan Goswami and she says that the entire series they will be playing to dedicate to her.

Harmanpreet Kaur, the India Women captain says that they are really happy to get the support from the crowd and each one contributed well. Further says that the toss was very important as they won the toss and Jhulan Goswami was outstanding up front and she is very happy with that. Adds that Deepti Sharma is an experienced campaigner and she bowled well. Further says that Smriti Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia played well. That partnership was important for them and good to see each player contributing well both with bat and ball.

England Women skipper, Amy Jones says that she is disappointed with the loss, their main problem was that they did not get enough runs. Adds that they thought it was a tricky wicket, but India Women bowled well, and losing regular wickets cost them. Mentions that to get Shafali Verma early was important, but they needed more wickets. She praises the way Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana played. Ends by saying they need to perform better in the next game.

The presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and put England Women into bat. This proved to be the correct choice as both Jhulan Goswami and Meghna Singh made good use of the early movement on offer. The scoring rate was kept in check throughout the innings and the spinners just didn't give an inch to the English batters. Danni Wyatt and Alice Davidson-Richards played a couple of good knocks in the middle and a couple of tailenders too were able to muster up some valuable runs but the score was still under-par. With just 228 needed to win, three half-centuries from amongst the top four batters meant that India Women got to the finishing line without breaking much sweat. Kate Cross and Charlotte Dean bowled well for the hosts but that was really it as the lack of wicket-taking opportunities cost them dearly. Stay tuned for the presentation...

England Women had their work cut out at the interval but they did get just the start they wanted as Kate Cross got rid of the dangerous Shafali Verma in the second over. But after that, their pacers were treated to some fine batting by the Indian batters and even their spinners couldn't provide the breakthrough. Charlotte Dean did get the breakthrough but by then they were already well behind in the game. The partnership between Kaur and Mandhana just put an end to any resistance put up by the bowlers and England Women will now look to bounce back in the next game.

India Women had the momentum coming into the chase as their bowlers had done a fine job but they lost Shafali Verma really early in the innings. It was then a quick 96-run stand between Smriti Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia that put them ahead in the game. Bhatia got to fifty and then got out but the skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur joined Mandhana in the middle and they too put on a 99-run stand. Mandhana looked flawless but gave her wicket away in the 90s. Harmanpreet Kaur though carried on and played a brilliant skipper's knock of 74 to take her team over the line.

India Women get there eventually and with time to spare as well. There was a bit of a stutter but not for long and they have been the better side in both innings and have gone 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series.

SIX! KABOOM! The skipper wraps the game off in style! A fuller ball, around middle and off. Harmanpreet Kaur gets down on one knee and slog-sweeps it over the leaping fielder at deep mid-wicket for a biggie. India Women win by 7 wickets!

Slower ball, full in length, around off, Harmanpreet Kaur prods forward and blocks it out.

Fuller, around off. Harleen Deol blocks it.

Fuller length, around off. Harleen Deol hits it towards the cover.

Fuller length, around off. Harmanpreet Kaur knocks it towards long on for a run.

Fuller length, around off. Harmanpreet Kaur tries to sweep it but misses.

FOUR! INNOVATIVE! That was short, around off. Harmanpreet Kaur paddles it towards third man for a boundary.

Short, around off. Harleen Deol pulls it towards deep mid-wicket for a run.