Another one bites the dust. Bowls it full and on off, and gets it to spin back in.

Goto goes for the sweep but gets an inside edge and the ball shoots past the leg stump and rolls towards the deep fine leg. The batters turn back for the second run but Smriti's rocket throw to the keeper forces Goto to hurry.

But she is found short of her crease as Ghosh collects the ball and whips the bails in a flash. 3Score51 - 5 Shafali Verma to Shimako Kato, OUT!

CAUGHT! Number two for Shafali.

Quicker through the air, on a fuller length, just outside off. Shimako Kato looks to pull it off the back foot, but badly mistimes it off the leading edge of her blade.

The ball bobbles up and dips on the mid off fielder. Harmanpreet Kaur has to dive forward to complete the catch.

2Score51 - 4 Shafali Verma to Shimako Kato, Full again, on the leg stump, Kato clips it to deep backward square leg. Smriti Mandhana gets across to her left and cuts it off.

Two runs taken. This brings the 50 up for Japan Women!

5Score48 - 4 Shreyanka Patil to Shimako Kato, WIDE! Way down leg, on a length.

4Score47 - 4 Shreyanka Patil to Shimako Kato, Turns in on the pads, with a bit of bounce. 11:30 (IST) Sep 18Shreyanka Patil is back on.

6Score47 - 4 Shafali Verma to Akari Nishimura, Beaten! Full and fast, outside off.

Akari misreads the length and presses back to deal with it. 6Score47 - 4 Shafali Verma to Akari Nishimura, Wide!

Spinning down leg, on the shorter side. 5Score46 - 4 Shafali Verma to Akari Nishimura, This is pushed through, full and on middle.

4Score46 - 4 Shafali Verma to Akari Nishimura, Shorter than the previous ball, on middle. 3Score46 - 4 Shafali Verma to Akari Nishimura, Drags the length back, a bit of turn, on off.

11:27 (IST) Sep 18Shafali, too, gets into the wickets. 2Score46 - 4 Shafali Verma to Ayaka Kato Stafford, OUT!

CAUGHT! That is the end of Stafford's vigil.

Verma gives the ball a bit of air, on a length, on middle. Ayaka shimmies down the track and tries to go over mid on.

The shot is on, but she does not manage to get to the pitch of the ball. 1Score46 - 3 Shafali Verma to Ayaka Kato Stafford, Short and around off.

6Score46 - 3 Deepti Sharma to Ayaka Kato Stafford, Slower now, on middle. 4Score45 - 3 Deepti Sharma to Ayaka Kato Stafford, FOUR!

Cleverly played! Deepti tries to fire in a full ball but this is too straight and it comes out as a low full toss.

3Score41 - 3 Deepti Sharma to Ayaka Kato Stafford, Nice shot! Tossed up, on off and middle.

Stafford reaches out in front and brings out the broom, beating the diving square leg fielder to her left. The fielder in the deep tidies up to her right.

2Score39 - 3 Deepti Sharma to Ayaka Kato Stafford, Even fuller, on off. 1Score39 - 3 Deepti Sharma to Ayaka Kato Stafford, Offers flight, on a length, on off.

6Score39 - 3 Shafali Verma to Ayaka Kato Stafford, Leading edge but safe. Verma fires in a full ball at the sticks.

Stafford closes the bat face to flick it away but she does so early and the ball catches a leading edge. It goes wide of point as the batters cross over for a single.

India vs Japan Live Score: Defending champions India begin their Asian Games 2026 women's cricket campaign against hosts Japan in the quarterfinals today, carrying the confidence of their record-extending eighth T20 Asia Cup triumph. With the women's competition starting directly with the last-eight stage, India know there is no room for a slow start or a costly mistake, with defeat immediately ending their title defence.

Shafali Verma will be one of India's biggest threats after finishing as the highest run-scorer in the Asia Cup. Her attacking approach at the top will be central to India's plans, while Smriti Mandhana will look to regain her best form after an inconsistent campaign in Dubai.

India also possess considerable bowling depth. Deepti Sharma brings experience and all-round ability, while Sree Charani has emerged as a key spin option after taking her 50th T20I wicket in only her 30th appearance.

Renuka Thakur, Nandini Sharma and Kranti Gaud add pace options, while Radha Yadav and Shreyanka Patil provide further spin choices. Japan will hope home advantage can help them challenge a strong Indian side, but they face a difficult task against the defending champions.

This change comes after the party last month replaced its central in-charge, appointing Sachin Pilot in place of Bhupesh Baghel, as the latter was seen as parti...