ENG v IND, 1st T20I as it happened: Rain ends match early, England win by 18 runs on DLS method

2.25 am: We will leave you with this moment of brilliance from India on the field. The second match is on Sunday, that’s in the evening at 7pm, not a day-nighter. Do join us then.

Player of the match: Who else but Nat Sciver. A sensational innings.

End of play: England win by 18 runs on DLS method.

2.05 am: It’s all over in Northampton and England have not just won the first T20 on DLS method, they have taken an unbeatable 8-4 lead on points with two matches to come. India, however, can still hope to level things up at 8-8. It’s the beauty of this format, undeniably.

2.00 am: It’s official. The first T20I has been called off as per the ECB.

1.57 am: As per the ICC tweet, India are 20 runs behind the DLS par score (the commentators gave a different number) but ultimately a fair distance away.

1.50 am: As the rain break continues, why not check out more reactions to the Harleen Deol catch? Because we can’t quite enough of it.

Rain break: Some rain-time musings. The Harleen Deol catch tweeted by ECB has nearly 80k views on Twitter as we speak. But there is nothing from the BCCI handle about it except an automated tweet. It’s a bit disappointing to see such moments not being leveraged to bring more fans to the game.

Over 8.4, India 54/3: RAIN STOPS PLAY. India are behind by 18 runs we are told. The rain seems quite heavy. Those two wickets of Mandhana and Kaur hurt India in more ways than one.

India 51/3 after 8 overs: Mady Villiers with a good first over. Deepti almost out stumped but got back just in time. Rain getting heavier.

Rain around and India well behind the required score.

Problems for Harmanpreet Kaur: Had said in the pre-match PC that “you can definitely expect a different approach in T20Is” as she is looking to return to form. The big shot attempted off the 2nd ball was perhaps a result of that & the match situation, didn’t pay off. But hope she clicks soon

Over 6.5: WICKET! Two big wickets gone! Mandhana, who was looking in fantastic touch, is dismissed by Sciver at the end of powerplay and now Harmanpreet’s struggles continue as she is out caught for 1 off 2 balls. Glenn with that wicket. The Indian captain had promised a different approach, and going for a big shot off the second ball was perhaps a sign of that. Couldn’t clear the field though, cat at mid-off.

Over 5.6: WICKET! Smriti Mandhana, not for the first time in her career, falls to the fielder placed on the leg side fence! She plays that shot well of course but always keeps the opponents interested. Was looking so good here, gone for an entertaining 29 off 17. That’s just an unfortunate moment for India to lose her wicket when she was batting so well and with the last ball of the powerplay. Brings Kaur in. India 44/2 after six.

India 35/1 after 5 overs — Mandhana 21, Deol 11: India need a little more from Harleen here with the bat. Mandhana plays a couple of good shots off Ecclestone in her first over with a guide through cover followed by a lofted sweep for four.

India 28/1 after 4 overs Mandhana 15, Deol 10: That’s more like it from Mandhana in the third over with a couple of elegant boundaries through the offside. Davies comes on to bowl the fourth and Harleen gets going after a slow start with a four over midwicket.

India 10/1 after 2 overs: Shaky start for Mandhana, gets away with an awkward jab that goes over Jones head.

India 0/1 after 0.2 overs: A second-ball duck for Shafali Verma today and Katherine Brunt wins the duel with a clean bowls her. Not the start India wanted in one of their bigger chases.

Shafali Verma takes strike. The battle resumes with Brunt. Correction to the score, England made 177 with Ecclestone run out last ball.

Innings break: Just a look (unofficial) at the Harleen Deol catch.

ENGLAND 178/6 AFTER 20 OVERS: A breathtaking innings of T20 cricket. Sensational batting by Sciver and Jones, brilliant catching by India... but overall the hosts will be pleased with their efforts on what didn’t seem to be the easiest pitch to bat on early. India have to come up with their record chase to win here.

Over 18.6: WICKET! Shikha Pandey has the third wicket of the over and it is once again thanks to her teammates. Richa Ghosh with a super sharp stumping, Sophia Dunkley out for a first-ball duck. Got into a tangle at the crease and the ‘keeper was smart to whip the bails off when the batter was just out of the crease. England 166/6 after 19, three wickets in that over.

NOW HARLEEN DEOL WITH A STUNNING CATCH! She lobs the ball up at the boundary line, goes over but then dives back in to complete a brilliant catch. Amy Jones is out for 43. Shikha Pandey with two wickets in the over.

Over 18.2: WICKET! End of a sensational Sciver innings. She is out for 55 off 27 balls. After a close call in the ODIs, Harmanpreet Kaur will not be denied her customary stunner on the field. Terrific catch at long on and it needed something special to dismiss the English vice-captain. Pandey with the wicket. England 163/4.

England 159/3 after 18 overs (Jones 42, Sciver 51) Another six for Jones, this time comfortably clearing long on! Poonam Yadav finishes with 4-0-32-1.

FIFTY: Sensational Sciver! A half century off just 24 balls for the England vice captain. She is batting brilliantly along with Amy Jones and India have no answers at the moment.

England 149/3 after 17 overs (Jones 21, Sciver 49): From overs 12 to 17, England have scored 62 runs! A four and six for Jones in that Deepti over. Lofted over cover and then just clearing long on.

England 136/3 after 16 overs (Jones 21, Sciver 49): It feels like they just started batting together, but the 50-partnership is up. Three fours in that Reddy over off the last three balls! Sciver just timing like a dream. “Like the sound of a bullet leaving a gun,” says the commmentator.

England 120/3 after 15 overs: A 16-run over! Radha Yadav given the Amy Jones treatment around the field. Terrific batting, this from an in-form player. Manipulating the field both sides of the wicket. Three fours.

England 104/3 after 14 overs: 100 comes up in the 14th over as Poonam Yadav comes back.

England 99/3 after 13 overs: Sciver continues to bat in another realm. A scythe through midwicket for four in that Rana over after a shot down the ground. She has raced to 31 off 15 balls.

Over 11.2: WICKET! It is a shame that wouldn’t go against her name. Superb fielding from Deepti Sharma off her own bowling. She does everything she can to stop a ball that was hit back, Knight had come down too far. And she is run out.

England 84/2 after 11 overs (Knight 6, Sciver 18) Terrific first over from Rana, just 2 runs.

England 82/2 after 10 overs (Knight 5, Sciver 17) You’d think there’s some sort of pressure on a new batter after two wickets fell but Nat Sciver is continuing to bat like a dream, as she has been on India’s tour. Has raced to 17 off 6 balls, the latest shot a super six over extra over.

Over 8.6: WICKET! Poonam Yadav strikes and the England openers are back in quick succession. Smriti Mandhana caught at wide long on. India making a comeback here. Beaumont out for 18.

Over 7.2: WICKET! Radha Yadav strikes in her first over to keep her streak going in T20Is. And well done Richa Ghosh with the catch, good review from India too to check for caught behind. Wyatt went for a reverse scoop, a tiny blip on UltraEdge. Out for 31.

England 56/0 after 7 overs (Beaumont 15, Wyatt 31): Poonam into the attack and starts off with a slow, loopy one as ever. A no ball given that over that could only be described as harsh as Wyatt came down the track to meet the full toss. Would have dipped below the knee, that!

End of powerplay: ENG 48/0 after 6 overs (Beaumont 11, Wyatt 28) The first boundary came in the fourth over but still the England openers have made a solid start. Doesn’t seem the easiest pitch to bat on as well, but Wyatt and Beaumont are going well.

England 48/0 after 6 overs (Beaumont 11, Wyatt 28): Wyatt continuing to keep the scoreboard ticking, with a sweep for four in Deepti’s over and another chipped shot over cover that is eventually given four after numerous replays.

England 37/0 after 5 overs (Beaumont 10, Wyatt 18): An attempted scoop from Beaumont results in four byes after Wyatt started that Pandey over with a four behind square. England motoring along.

England 28/0 after 4 overs (Beaumont 10, Wyatt 13): SHARP FIELDING! Apart from that catch that fell between catchers, India’s fielding has been super sharp in the early stages of this match. Good to see that they are carrying on with the tone was set in the 2nd ODI. Kaur leading from the front with a stop to save a certain four in the 3rd over. The first four comes in the fourth over from Beaumont, lofting Reddy over midwicket. As good as India’s fielding been, England still taking quick singles. Wyatt skied one more but again away from catchers.

Richa Ghosh standing up to the pacers. Can she keep the levels as high as Taniya Bhatia? Pandey to continue.

England 13/0 after 2 overs (Beaumont 2, Wyatt 7): The pitch a bit two-paced? A chance comes and goes for India in that Arundhati Reddy over. Wyatt skies one off Reddy’s bowling but the ball falls in between three catchers. Radha does well to stop the four though. Plenty of pace change in that over.

Zenia D’Cunha: After a drawn Test and a lost ODI series, the T20Is gives India – with a younger, fresher team – chance to reset & end the tour on a more positive note.

England 7/0 after 1 over: Typical inswingers from Shikha Pandey early in her spell. Testing Richa early with the gloves as well. All rotation of strike in the first over

Danni Wyatt is back in England’s XI and she will be looking to make a statement. Tammy Beaumont on strike. Shikha Pandey to start off. We are underway!

A lot of focus has been on Harmanpreet’s batting form (or lack thereof) but the Indian captain is confident of bouncing back in the T20Is after less than ideal preparations due to injury and Covid.

Read more here.

10.42 pm: As Harmanpreet had said in the PC, Richa Ghosh get the nod as the wicketkeeper-bat. India name a XI that has good batting depth. Radha Yadav returns to the scheme of things as well as does Arundhati Reddy. Exciting lineup from an Indian point of view. For the hosts, Wyatt returns to the top of the order.

TEAM NEWS:

India XI: : Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana, Arundhati Reddy, Shikha Pandey, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav

England XI: Tammy Beaumont, Danni Wyatt, Nat Sciver, Heather Knight, Amy Jones, Sophia Dunkley, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Mady Villiers, Freya Davies

TOSS UPDATE: India have won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the first T20 International between Harmanpreet Kaur’s India and Heather Knight’s England. The two finalists from the last two T20 World Cups go up against each other in what is the final leg of India’s tour to England. The one-off Test was a draw, England won the the next two matches to seal the ODI series comfortably and Mithali Raj’s side came back to win the third match. With points across formats at stake, and the tally at 6-4 in favour of England, the T20Is are poised brilliantly.

Preview: T20I series: Focus on Harmanpreet Kaur’s batting as visitors look for momentum