Summary: India begin their title defence with a comfortable 3-0 win over Pakistan. India scored twice in quick succession in the first half with a Pakistan own goal followed up by a neat finish from player of the match Dangmei Grace. They dominated the match seeking a third goal which arrived deep into stoppage time via substitute Soumya Guguloth.

IND 3-0 PAK, FT: A comfortable win for India in the end. Dangmei Grace and Soumya Guguloth on the scoresheet for India along with a Pakistan own goal. Grace and midfielder Anju Tamang were the pick of the players today. India’s next match will be against Maldives on September 10th.

IND 3-0 PAK, 90+4 min: INDIA FINALLY GET THEIR THIRD! Ranjana fizzes in a low cross and Soumya sneaks in from behind the last Pakistani defender to squeeze the ball into the bottom corner.

IND 2-0 PAK, 90+1 min: Great block from Pakistan! Soumya rises highest to power a header towards goal but it is blocked.

IND 2-0 PAK, 90 min: Ranjana Chanu with a vicious strike from distance. Mahapra does well to block the shot and pounce on the loose ball. We’ll have four minutes of added time as India continue their hunt for a third goal.

IND 2-0 PAK, 85 min: Another pair of changes for India. Sandhiya and player-of-the-match contender Anju Tamang make way for Apurna Narzaryy and Thokchom Martina.

IND 2-0 PAK, 84 min: After trying their luck from distance for some time, India have switched back to creating chances from the wing. First Soumya looks for Grace but her cross is headed out. Then she combines with Kiran on the right but the play amounts to nothing.

IND 2-0 PAK, 80 min: Good work from Kiran on the left. Her cutback is met by an onrushing Anju but her scuffed attempt rolls just past the far post.

Vinayakk: It hasn’t always been easy for her in this match but Pakistan goalkeeper Syeda Mahpara has been busy in the 2nd half to keep India at bay as they push for the third goal.

IND 2-0 PAK, 75 min: A sustained spell of pressure from India has all 11 Pakistani players camped in their own half. Kiran chases after a speculative through ball but Mahapra rushes out to meet it and injures herself in the process.

IND 2-0 PAK, 72 min: India seem to have switched formations from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-4. Dangmei Grace has switched over to the left wing with Soumya playing on the right. Sandhiya and Kiran are playing as the two strikers. Grace plays a very good cross but Kiran fails to connect!

IND 2-0 PAK, 65 min: A double change for India. Renu and Priyangka make way for Kiran Pisda and Soumya Guguloth. Moments later Dangmei Grace has a good chance to make it 3-0. A speculative cross is missed by Mahapra who then clashes with her own defender. With an open goal, Grace ends up handling the ball. Mahapra stays down and needs a spritz of the magic spray to spring back up.

IND 2-0 PAK, 60 min: Pakistan spring on the counter. Nadia Khan fails to trap Zulfia Nazir’s pass but as she chases after it, she is blocked by Manisa Panna and Pakistan have a freekick. Maria Khan’s attempt rebounds of the wall but her follow-up shot is better but straight at Aditi Chauhan in the Indian goal. A minute later, Nadia and Zulfia combine once again but the latter’s lobbed cross is comfortably caught at the near post by Chauhan.

IND 2-0 PAK, 50 min: One change for India at halftime with Ritu Rani replacing Michel Castanha. Pakistan with a rare attacking foray. Nadia Khan gets the ball on the right but the backtracking Anju Tamang dispossesses her. Dangmei Grace tries her luck from distance but her shot flies straight into the grateful arms of Mahapra.

IND 2-0 PAK, 45 min: We’re underway in the second half. India would be hoping to get some more goals to bulk up their goal difference.

IND 2-0 PAK, Halftime: India go into the break with a deserved 2-0 lead. Anju Tamang, deployed as a no 10, has been a joy to watch today as has been Dangmei Grace on the left. India could, and should, have gotten more goals for their sheer dominance over Pakistan. Still 45 minutes left in the match to pump in a few more goals.

IND 2-0 PAK, 45 min: A big chance for Pakistan to get a goal back just before halftime. Zulfia Nazir gets the ball on the left and sprints away. She looks to cut inside but is bundled over just outside the box by Manisa Panna. The freekick, however, sails harmlessly behind.

IND 2-0 PAK, 44 min: Dangmei Grace finds an unmarked Michel Castania on the right. Her attempted cross is blocked. Anju Tamang is the first to react but her first-time shot is deflected behind for a corner.

IND 2-0 PAK, 40 min: India win a freekick on the right. Ashalata’s delivery is headed out but only as far as Ratanbala Devi. Her volley takes a big deflection taking the sting off the shot and Syeda Mahpara rushes out to gobble it.

IND 2-0 PAK, 35 min: Sandhiya is through on goal from the left and looks set to make it 3-0 but is denied by a brilliant last-ditch challenge.

IND 2-0 PAK, 30 min: Ranjana Chanu with an audacious effort there! Has all the time and space in the world to launch a vicious shot from just outside the box on the left. The ball sails over the diving keeper and just past the post.

IND 2-0 PAK, 25 min: India have found a lot of freedom on the wings and are pinging in crosses at will. Ranjana puts in a dangerous one from the left looking for Dangmei Grace. A Pakistani defender does well to intercept and clear the ball away.

IND 2-0 PAK, 22 min: MAKE THAT TWO! Anju Tamang slices the Pakistan defence with a delightful pass to find Grace. The winger is in acres of space and her low shot sneaks past Mahpara at the near post!

IND 1-0 PAK, 21 min: INDIA SCORE! Sandhiya with a very good cross from the left seeking the unmarked Grace. The keeper comes to meet the cross but fumbles it and the ball takes an unfortunate touch off captain Mari Khan and rolls into the net!

IND 0-0 PAK, 20 min: Big chance for India! Anju Tamang’s corner to near post should have been at goal but is instead trapped by her teammate. The cut-back is intercepted by a Pakistani defender and the attack ends. A minute later, Sandhiya looks to curl one in but doesn’t find the best connection.

IND 0-0 PAK, 15 min: It has been one-way traffic so far with India dominating possession. Renu had a good chance to give India the lead but she fluffed her shot off a low cross from Grace. Anju Tamang tries her luck from distance but the shot is tame and rolls gently to the goalkeeper.

IND 0-0 PAK, 10 min: India go close! Anju Tamang finds herself unmarked in the box but the cross from the left takes the slightest of deflections to take the ball away from here. Pakistan defend the subsequent corner.

IND 0-0 PAK, 5 min: India hit the crossbar! A cross from the left sails above the keeper and bounces off the top of the crossbar.

IND 0-0 PAK: The match is underway but unfortunately, the live stream is yet to begin. Sigh

Pakistan are playing in the SAFF Women’s Championship for the first time since they hosted the tournament in 2014. The last meeting between these two teams in the competition was in the 2010 edition when India won 8-0 in the semifinal.

21-year-old forward Nadia Khan, who plays for Doncaster Rovers Belles in England, makes her debut for Pakistan.

India’s starting XI: Aditi Chauhan (GK), Manisa Panna, Ashalata Devi (C), Priyangka Devi, Ratanbala Devi, Anju Tamang, R. Sandhiya, Dangmei Grace, Ranjana Chanu, Michel Castanha

Pakistan’s starting XI: Syeda Mahpara, Hajra, Malika-E-Noor, Mishal Bhatti, Nizalia Siddiqui, Maria Khan (c), Nadia Khan, Khadija Kazmi, Alina, Suha Hirani, Zulfia Nazir

12.30 pm: Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Indian football as the senior women’s team begin their title defence at SAFF Women’s Championship.

The Indian women’s football team start their campaign against Pakistan at the Dashrath Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal.

India have won all five editions of the tournament so far and are gunning for their sixth straight title.

This is the first international tournament featuring an Indian team after a Fifa ban was lifted on the All India Football Federation.

India have been clubbed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Maldives and Bangladesh. The Indian team will take on Maldives on September 10 and Bangladesh on September 13.

India’s 23-player squad:

GOALKEEPERS: Aditi Chauhan, Maibam Linthoingambi Devi, Sowmiya Narayanasamy.

DEFENDERS: Sweety Devi, Ritu Rani, Ashalata Devi, Ranjana Chanu, Manisa Panna, Michel Castanha, Juli Kishan, Santosh.

MIDFIELDERS: Anju Tamang,Priyangka Devi, Martina Thokchom, Sandhiya Ranganathan, Kashmina, Ratanbala Devi.

FORWARDS: Dular Marandi, Apurna Narzary, Soumya Guguloth, Renu, Kiran Pisda, Dangmei Grace.

HEAD COACH: Suren Chettri.