India v England – First women’s T20I LIVE from Mumbai as Heather Knight looks to get her side’s tour off to strong start

Finally a breakthrough for India.

Ishaque takes her first T20I wicket as Wyatt skips down looking for a huge hit over the top and fails to make contact, with Ghosh taking off the bails at the second attempt. The debutant is mobbed by her teammates.

Wyatt departs for 75 from 46 – a superb innings that could yet prove to be a match-winning contribution… we’ll know just how good that was in a couple of hours’ time.

Captain Knight comes to the crease with attacking intent in her mind as England look to go big in these death overs.

India are forced to go back to their leading bowlers to try and break this partnership.

Sharma starts well, but a shorter delivery is pulled away for four. It should really have been stopped on the rope, but finds a gap, and Mandhana looks to have injured herself slightly in the field trying to stop that.

Eight come off the over, which England will certainly take against one of India’s main weapons.

Wyatt is making a big impact on her landmark 150th appearance in the format. Ahuja comes into the attack and is immediately set about by the set batter, who pulls twice for four in the over.

England have power to come, but they might not need those extra options with how these two are going.

Ishaque is striving a bit too hard for the magic ball on her debut and is picked off as a result.

Sciver-Brunt also brings up her half-century with a sweep for four, and 11 runs come off the over.

England are on course for a big total here thanks to this pair’s superb partnership.

Patil continues as missed a chance as she puts down a low return catch off Sciver-Brunt – what a first wicket in international cricket that would have been.

England bring up their hundred, and Wyatt goes to 50 in style, slamming a huge six over long-on.

And India drop another chance, this one even more straightforward, with Vastrakar putting down a simple chance in the deep after Wyatt miscues to long-on.

Patil gives a rueful smile as she takes her cap.

Wyatt and Sciver-Brunt have done a superb job getting England back on track after that nightmare first over, and India turn back to Renuka Singh to try and break the partnership.

Sciver-Brunt takes the attack to India though, hitting lovely back-to-back fours off the pacer to keep the scoring going.

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We get a first sight of debutant Patil with the ball. She received a cap from Mandhana before play, and starts really nicely with her off-breaks.

An all-rounder who excelled in the WPL, Patil also adds some explosive hitting ability down the order for India – such a useful asset for this team.

Wyatt lines her up at the back end of the over though, latching onto an over-pitched delivery and slamming it down the ground for four, and then lofting a drive slightly out of control over the fielders in the circle. There was a hint of a chance there, but the ball dropped safe.

It’s time for drinks in Mumbai.

India need some control so turn back to Deepti Sharma, and the over is going well right until the last delivery.

Wyatt jumps into a new stance well outside off, and flicks a huge shot into the leg side, which carries all the way for six. That’s classy.

Wyatt is playing her 150th T20I today, and the experienced opener picks her moment to up the aggression, attacking Ishaque with a carved drive over the ring off the first ball.

And she follows up with another boundary off a no-ball as the spinner loses her grip in the delivery. Wyatt jumps into a different stance but fails to take advantage of the free hit, but the runs keep on coming as she drives over the top next up once again, this time for just the two.

Oh hang on, it’s just a single, Wyatt ran one short there, which has been picked up on the replays.

Ishaque’s second over in international cricket has not gone to plan, but she came back well after that expensive start to go for just four singles.

Sciver-Brunt is a cut above. Vastrakar continues and has a tight lbw call turned down with her first delivery – it was tight, umpire’s call according to replays.

But that’s as good as it gets in the over for the pacer, who is dispatched for two classy boundaries by England’s number four as this pair bring up their 50 partnership.

More spin for England to deal with as Deepti Sharma is given a bowl, but the over starts in expensive fashion as Sciver-Brunt shows lovely touch to pick a boundary off the first delivery of the over.

Sharma isn’t particularly happy with the ease with which England’s star is dealing with her, and throws at the stumps with a bit of extra venom when Sciver-Brunt prods back to the bowler. She’s in her ground safely.

And Sharma’s mood won’t be any better after a classy sweep shot races to the rope to complete the over.

More from Vastrakar and England’s established pair look to go through the gears. A lovely flick for four from Sciver-Brunt keeps the score ticking over.

India think they’ve just missed a big chance as Ghosh fails to take a tough chance off Sciver-Brunt, but replays show that there was no contact with the bat in any case.

Ishaque comes into the attack for the first time in T20Is. The left-arm spinner was the second-highest wicket taker in the WPL and has earned national selection as a result, but one slightly over-pitched delivery is brilliant swept to the boundary by Sciver-Brunt to take the shine off what was a nice first over in international cricket.

Wyatt cuts well for four – the first boundary of his England innings.

Sciver-Brunt is the heartbeat of this England batting line-up and plays herself in as India opt to keep pace on while the ball is talking.

This is a very experienced pair out in the middle for England and they stabilise things as Vastrakar also gets a lot of movement out of the new ball.

Aggressive running sees Wyatt scamper back three twos in the over to set the tone.

India make a superb start with the ball, thanks to the returning Renuka Singh Thakur. The right-armer gets the ball to talk first up and very nearly catches the edge of Wyatt.

But she makes the breakthrough when Dunkley’s poor run of returns continues with a stroke of misfortune, as a mistimed defensive shot bounces back up and hits the back of her arm to direct it onto the stumps.

And Capsey falls to the very next ball, cleaned up with a peach that moves in the air and clatters into off stump.

Sciver-Brunt survives the hat-trick delivery, but that’s a gut-punch for England, who have lost two of their most destructive hitters right at the start.

The start of a fascinating tour is minutes away. This is such an interesting series for two teams in a bit of a development phase. England start this three-match series as the second-ranked T20 team in the world, with India two spots below in fourth. In these conditions though, you’d probably say that only Australia would go into a match as favourites against Kaur and Co.

The retirements of the vastly experienced Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have opened up two big spots in the India set-up.

And that has handed the selectors an opportunity to bed in some of the youngsters who emerged during the inaugural Women’s Premier League. Two of those, spinners Shreyanka Patil and Saika Ishaque, make their T20 debuts and will look to make immediate inroads into the England top order.

Charlie Dean will sit out this opening game after coming down with a bit of illness, which means England are a spinner light. Ecclestone starts on her comeback from injury, and Glenn provides the other front-line spin option.

It’s an interesting balance of the team for England, with Freya Kemp as the all-rounder at seven giving the batting order a bit more depth.

You won’t get a much taller pair of pacers than Bell and Gaur, who will look to maximise the bounce that the Wankhede provides later on.

India XI: Mandhana, Shafali, Rodrigues, Harmanpreet, Ghosh, Deepti, Patil, Vastrakar, Kanika, Renuka, Ishaque.

England XI: Wyatt, Dunkley, Capsey, Sciver-Brunt, Knight, Jones, Kemp, Ecclestone, Glenn, Bell, Gaur.

India have won the toss and have opted to bowl first. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur says the logic of the decision is to put pressure on England’s batting line-up in unfamiliar conditions… and she’s not wrong, this is going to be a big test for Heather Knight’s side.

The whole of England’s tour of India is live on TNT Sports in the UK.

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Jon Lewis has been very open in that this tour as all about experience for a squad who have very real aspirations of winning major tournaments in the next few years.

“We have a nice blend of youth and experience,” he said. “It’s an exciting squad and a group that is ready to take on the challenge of what will be a really tough series in India.

“Playing in Indian conditions is great preparation for our next two World Cups in the subcontinent and will be an amazing learning opportunity for both the players and the staff.”

This tour promises to be extremely helpful for an England squad who already have half an eye on upcoming World Cups in the next two years.

The Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in Bangladesh next autumn, with a 50-over tournament due to be held 2025 in India. So competitive sub-continent cricket is invaluable for an England team who have struggled slight against the turning ball in the last year or so.

TNT Sports are broadcasting the England Women’s cricket team for the first time this December, with all matches of their tour live on the TNT Sports Channels.

Today sees the start of a three-match T20I series, with a one-off Test match to follow.

Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of India versus England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. I’m Tom Bennett and I’ll be bringing you build-up, team news and live text commentary of the first T20I as England’s women begin their multi-format tour of India.

England Women finish their 2023 campaign with a tour of India, live on TNT Sports.

England will face India in three T20 matches before a one-off Test.

Sophie Ecclestone is included in both squads after having shoulder surgery in September. Wicketkeeper Bess Heath is also in both squads after making her senior debut in September, while all-rounder Alice Capsey, 19, could make her Test debut.

It will be England’s first tour of India since 2019.

Head coach Jon Lewis said: “We have a nice blend of youth and experience. It’s an exciting squad and a group that is ready to take on the challenge of what will be a really tough series in India.”