India beat Japan by two runs in a rain-affected five-over T20 International at Sano, in a match that produced an unusual first. Shreyas Iyer, winning the toss, became the first captain from a Full Member nation to opt to bat in a five-over T20I.
Iyer said the idea was to let India get used to local conditions and the pitch ahead of their wider campaign. Early on it looked a risky call, as repeated rain interruptions had already cut the game down.
India struggle on a turning pitch
The Sano surface turned from the first ball. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan scored only 12 runs between them. Iyer held things together with 16 from 12 balls, half of India’s total.
India finished on 32 for 4. Japan’s Charlie Hara-Hinze was the best of the bowlers, taking two wickets and conceding 17 in his two overs.
Axar holds firm in the last over
Japan kept the chase alive. After four overs they were 25 for 3, needing eight from the last six balls and close to a famous win over the reigning T20 World Cup champions.
Axar Patel was handed the final over and gave away just five runs, which sealed a two-run victory for India.
The fixture was also the first T20 International between India and Japan at the Sano International Cricket Ground, a notable moment in the growth of the game in Japan.
