Photo via Hindustan Times

India vs Japan Asian Games Women LIVE: Harmanpreet Kaur's bunch looks for a strong start

India's women's cricket team launched their Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games title defense with a quarterfinal showdown against tournament hosts Japan in Nisshin. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, who has captained her country in over 150 Twenty20 Internationals, India elected to field after winning the coin toss on a ground featuring short boundaries measuring roughly 60 to 65 meters.

The reigning champions entered the eight-nation knockout bracket riding the momentum of an unbeaten five-game run to the Asia Cup crown, where they defeated Thailand, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

A victory in the clash will advance India to a semifinal matchup against Bangladesh. In addition to Kaur, India's lineup features names such as Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Gunalan Kamalini, Bharti Fulmali, and Richa Ghosh, while Mai Yanagida captains the Japanese squad that includes Haruna Iwasaki, Akari Nishimura Kano, and Shimako Kato.