Sano (Japan): Seasoned spinner Axar Patel choked the inexperienced Japanese batters just in time as India survived a scare to win the rain-curtailed one-off T20 International between the two mis-matched sides by a mere two runs here on Tuesday.
With the match being reduced to five overs-a-side due to inclement weather and the underlying moisture on the surface offering more than expected turn, the apparent gulf in talent and experience was seemingly bridged as India managed only 32 for 4 in five overs hitting a total of three boundaries.
While defending the target, India looked in danger of being embarrassed when Ravi Bishnoi went for 10 runs in the third over and Washington Sundar (2/13) gave away seven in the penultimate over.
However, with eight runs required off the final over, Axar’s (2-0-7-0) experience of playing 150-plus IPL games came in handy as he didn’t give any room to Shirai Patmore and Benjamin Ito-Davis to chance their arms.
It also helped that rain had slowed down the outfield.
In the final over, umpire Chris Thurgate gave a few contentious wide ball calls when left-handed Patmore tried playing the reverse slog and missed twice.
An unhappy Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer complained to leg-umpire Chris Brown and the second wide was overturned.
While Japan gave India a scare but it had more to do with the shortened game on a rank turner that literally made the match into a lottery.
Also, unlike the track in Aichi-Nagoya where the women’s team won gold medal with a power-packed batting show, the Sano pitch didn’t offer conducive conditions which one associates with strokeplay in T20 cricket.
Earlier, unheralded Japanese spinners challenged the star-studded Indian batting line-up to restrict them to a below-par 32 for 4, which might have made skipper Shreyas Iyer question his decision to bat first.
The underlying moisture of the pitch helped in providing appreciable turn for left-arm spinner Charlie Hara Hinze (2/17) and off-spinner Ibrahim Takahashi (1/13).
Abhishek Sharma (0) was dismissed by Hara-Hinze after the Indian swashbuckler mis-timed a slog sweep while Takahashi flighted one to deceive Sanju Samson (10) in the air with his heave being taken at mid-wicket boundary.
Benjamin Ito-Davis (1/2) then got rid of Ishan Kishan (3), who was consistently trying to hit against the turn and ended up ballooning one to mid-off.
Shreyas Iyer (16) hit a boundary but the pitch was such that Indian players found it difficult to hit across the line.
The turn and the slowness of the track contributed to their downfall and the shorter duration of the match meant that there was no chance of a recovery.
Credit must be given to the three Japanese spinners and skipper Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming who understood the conditions at the venue where the home team plays all its home games.
