India Women reached 81 for 2 in their eight-over innings at Chelmsford after England won the toss and chose to field. Smriti Mandhana departed first ball before Shafali Verma added seven, leaving Harmanpreet Kaur and Yastika Bhatia to steady the ship in the opening T20 international.

Yastika Bhatia anchored the innings with an unbeaten 42 from 25 balls, striking eight fours and a six at a 168 strike rate. Amy Jones remained not out on 25 from 19 deliveries as the pair built crucial momentum. England's Sarah Bell claimed both wickets, finishing with impressive figures of 2 for 17 from her two overs.

The Ambassador Cruise Line Ground hosted this showcase women's cricket fixture, with England's decision to bowl first backfiring as India's middle order accelerated. Heather Knight's side faces an early deficit after a disciplined bowling effort failed to contain the Indian batters in the shortened format.

This opening match sets the tone for what promises to be a competitive series between two strong women's cricket nations, with India taking the early advantage through superior batting execution in the powerplay overs.