India romped to a narrow two-run victory over Japan in a rain-affected one-off T20I on Tuesday at Sano International Cricket Ground. The match, which had been reduced to a five-over affair, saw India struggle to score runs against Japan’s tremendously impressive bowling attack. India’s innings never really gathered momentum, with their batters finding it difficult to attack on a slow and turning pitch after Shreyas Iyer decided to bat.
Charlie Hara-Hinzestole stole the show with two important wickets, while Ibrahim Takahashi and Benjamin Ito-Davis claimed one wicket each. India managed only 32/4 in five overs. Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 16 from 12 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled to make an impact. Noticeably, none of the other Indian batters managed to reach double figures. Chasing a small target, Japan had a major opportunity to deliver a major upset.
However, Indian bowlers Axar Patel and Washington Sundar restricted Japan to 30/3 in five overs. Axar Patel opened the bowling and gave away only two runs in his first over. Washington Sundar then made an impact, two wickets to help India tighten their grip on the match and claim a hard-fought win.