New Delhi: India captain Shreyas Iyer praised Japan’s spirited performance after India secured a narrow two run victory in a rain shortened five over T20I in Sano on Tuesday.
The match, played as part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, turned into a closely fought contest after the hosts’ bowlers restricted the reigning T20 world champions to just 32 for four.
Iyer top scored for India with 16 runs from 12 balls, while Japan’s Charlie Hara Hinze impressed with two wickets. Ibrahim Takahashi also claimed one wicket as India struggled to score freely on a slow and turning surface.
Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a golden duck, while Sanju Samson made nine and Ishan Kishan scored three. India managed only 32 runs in their five overs, with Shivam Dube and Tilak Varma unbeaten at the end of the innings.
Japan began their chase poorly, losing Lachlan Yamamoto Lake to a run out and Ibrahim Takahashi to Washington Sundar. The hosts then recovered through Kendel Kadowaki Fleming and Benjamin Ito Davis.
Kadowaki Fleming scored 12 before Sundar removed him in the fourth over, leaving Japan needing eight runs from the final six balls.
Axar Patel was handed the responsibility of bowling the final over and delivered under pressure. Japan managed only five runs, finishing on 30 for three and falling just short of a memorable victory.
Sundar was India’s leading bowler with two wickets.
Iyer said the difficult pitch made batting challenging and forced India to focus on singles and doubles rather than aggressive stroke play. He also praised Japan’s approach and competitiveness throughout the contest.
The Indian captain said the unusual five over game provided useful preparation ahead of the Asian Games, with the team now set to assess conditions and build its plans accordingly.
