Japan give India scare but fall two runs short of historic upset in rain-hit T20I
Japan narrowly lost a rain-affected T20I to India by two runs, scoring 30/3 in reply to India's 32/4 after a spirited performance.
Japan narrowly lost a rain-affected T20I to India by two runs, scoring 30/3 in reply to India's 32/4 after a spirited performance.
Japan narrowly lost a rain-affected T20I to India by two runs, scoring 30/3 in reply to India's 32/4 after a spirited performance.
Coming into the one-off T20I against India, a Japanese victory would have been considered little short of a miracle. But cricket has a way of defying expectations, and Japan came agonisingly close to pulling off one of the biggest upsets in their history, falling just two runs short of a win over the world champions.
In a game reduced to just five overs per side due to rain, India posted 32/4 before Japan fought back with a spirited 30/3 in reply.
India captain Shreyas Iyer opted to bat after winning the toss, with the world champions expected to flex their batting strength against a relatively inexperienced Japanese side.
But Japan's bowlers had other ideas.
Abhishek Sharma departed for a golden duck off the final ball of the opening over, while Sanju Samson managed nine off seven balls, including a boundary. Ishan Kishan was then dismissed for three.
Iyer was the only Indian batter to make a double-digit score, hitting 16 off 12 balls with a boundary. India managed only eight runs from boundaries, with another three coming through wides.
Charles Hinze was the pick of the Japanese bowlers with two wickets, while Ibrahim Takahashi and Benjamin Ito-Davis claimed one each.
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Chasing 33, Japan refused to be overawed by the occasion. Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming led from the front with 12, while Ito-Davis remained unbeaten on nine and Alexander Shirai Patmore scored four.
Japan needed eight runs from the final over, but India's experience eventually proved decisive. Axar Patel, who finished with 2-0-7-0, kept the Japanese batters tied down, giving Shirai Patmore and Ito-Davis little room to attack.
The rain-affected conditions also played their part, with a sluggish outfield making it difficult for the batters to find boundaries.
The final over produced further drama when umpire Chris Thurgate called wides as left-hander Shirai Patmore attempted reverse-slogs and missed twice. Indian captain Iyer was visibly unhappy with the second call and appealed to leg-umpire Chris Brown, following which the decision was overturned.
Japan ultimately fell two runs short, but their spirited chase gave India a genuine scare in a game that, after the rain reduced it to five overs a side, was decided by fine margins.
Brief scores:
India: 32/4 in 5 overs (Shreyas Iyer 16; Charlie Hara-Hinze 17/2).
Japan: 30/3 in 5 overs (Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming 12; Washington Sundar 13/2).