Rain tried its best to ruin the party. It nearly succeeded too. But when the clouds finally cleared at the Sano International Cricket Ground, what unfolded was one of the most bizarre and gripping T20Is you will ever see.
IND vs JPN. A first-ever meeting. A match squeezed into five overs a side. And a finish that had everyone holding their breath.
A Historic First in Sano
This was never meant to be a five-over shootout. Persistent rain in the days leading up to September 22 left the outfield sodden. The toss was delayed. Officials kept pushing the start back. Eventually, the India vs Japan T20I was reduced to the minimum five overs needed to make a valid match.
It was still a special occasion. The one-off game, part of the Suzuki Cup, marked 75 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries. It was also India’s final T20I before the Asian Games. Japan, ranked 41st in the world, were playing the three-time T20 World Cup champions for the very first time.
Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bat. That decision made a bit of history on its own. He became the first captain from a Full Member nation to opt to bat first in a five-over T20I.
Japan’s Spinners Stun India
What happened next was barely believable.
Japan opened the bowling with spin. All five overs were bowled by spinners. And on a slow, damp surface, they turned the ball square. India’s star-studded batting line-up had no answers.
Abhishek Sharma fell for a golden duck, sweeping a top edge to short fine leg. Sanju Samson managed 9. Ishan Kishan scratched around for 3. Shreyas Iyer was the only one to reach double figures, making 16 off 12.
Charlie Hara-Hinze was the star with 2/17. Ibrahim Takahashi chipped in with 1/13. India crawled to 32/4. At one point, they had just 14 runs on the board after three overs. It was the lowest aggregate by India’s top three against an associate nation in T20Is.
Japan walked off buzzing. They needed 33 to win. Against a world champion side, they had a genuine shot at one of the biggest upsets in cricket history.
Axar Patel’s Final Over Heroics
Chasing 33, Japan lost opener Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake early, run out by a sharp Ishan Kishan throw for 1. Washington Sundar then struck, removing Ibrahim Takahashi for 4.
Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and Benjamin Ito-Davis steadied things. They took 10 off Ravi Bishnoi to reach 18/2 after three overs. Japan needed 15 off 12 balls. Very doable.
Washington Sundar bowled the fourth over. Seven runs came off it. But on the last ball, he dismissed Kadowaki-Fleming for 12. Japan were 25/3. Eight runs needed off the final over.
Axar Patel took the ball. The equation was simple: defend eight.
He conceded just five. Japan finished on 30/3. India won by 2 runs.
The Overturned Wide That Changed Everything
The final over was not without drama.
With Japan needing 6 off 3 balls, Axar bowled one down the leg side. The umpire signalled wide. Axar was furious, convinced the batter had moved early to attempt a reverse sweep. Shreyas Iyer rushed in to talk to the square-leg umpire. After a long discussion, the call was overturned. It was ruled a fair delivery.
Instead of a wide and an extra run, it was a dot ball. Japan needed 6 off 2. They could only manage two singles. The margin stayed at 2 runs.
Had the wide stood, the equation would have been very different. Fine margins.
What It Means for Both Teams
For India, it is a win. A narrow, nerve-jangling win, but a win. It also made them the first men’s team to register 200 T20I wins, including Super Overs.
For Japan cricket, it is heartbreak. But also enormous pride. They pushed the world champions to the absolute limit. Their spinners outbowled India’s. Their fielding was sharp. On another day, they might have pulled off the impossible.
India now head to the Asian Games, where they are defending champions. Japan will take plenty of belief from this performance. Cricket in Japan may still be finding its feet, but nights like this will only help.
FAQs
Why was the India vs Japan T20I reduced to five overs?
Heavy rain in the days before the match left the outfield at Sano International Cricket Ground too wet. After a delayed start, officials reduced the game to five overs per side, the minimum needed for a valid T20I.
Who won the India vs Japan T20I?
India won by 2 runs. They scored 32/4 in their five overs. Japan finished on 30/3 chasing 33.
Who was the star of the match?
Axar Patel bowled a brilliant final over, defending eight runs. Washington Sundar took two wickets. For Japan, Charlie Hara-Hinze was superb with 2/17.
What is the Suzuki Cup?
It is the name of the one-off T20I between India and Japan, played to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. It was the first-ever cricket match between the two nations.
