WATCH: Catch of the summer! Harleen Deol produces a sensational boundary catch during ENG-W vs IND-W 1st T20I
T20 games, no matter how short they are, or get reduced by rain, never fall short of producing sensational and memorable moments. The opening game of the three-match T20I series between England Women and India Women was marred by rain on Saturday night at Northampton before Heather Knight's side won by 18 runs via DLS Method. But there was one moment of brilliance from India's Harleen Deol that stood out, with the video going viral on Twitter.
It was in the penultimate ball of the penultimate over. Amy Jones aimed to send the fuller and wider delivery from Shikha Pandey over long-off. It was indeed a powerful stroke, but Harleen had other plans.
Watch the exciting video:
Harleen timed her dive near the rope to take the catch, but on landing lost her balance and quickly threw the ball back into the air before stepping over to the other side of the rope. She then dived back in to complete the stunner as Jones departed for 43 off 27.
Former Indian cricketer and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar called it the "catch of the year."
VVS Laxman also praised the heroic effort on the field from Deol.
Despite the effort, England finished with 177 for 7 at the end of 20 overs. India bounced back with successive dismissals of the openers who had set a strong foundation. But England pulled things back with 90 runs off the last eight overs, courtesy of a 78-run partnership between Natalie Sciver and Jones.
India lost Shafali Verma for a two-ball duck in the first over. But India managed to add 44 runs for the next wicket before Smriti Mandhana departed for 29 off 17.
The dismissal slowed down India's momentum, leaving them 18 runs behind the DLS equation when rain abandoned the game in Northampton.
