Cricket can be funny. On paper, it was a mismatch. On the field in Sano, it was a heart attack. In a rain-hit, 5-over-a-side one-off T20I, India survived a mighty scare against Japan, winning by just 2 runs. And if it wasn’t for Axar Patel’s icy cool final over, we would have been talking about one of the biggest upsets in T20 history. Final Scores: India 32/4 (5 overs) beat Japan 30/3 (5 overs) Yes, you read that right. 32 runs. That’s all India managed. What Happened? A 5-Over Lottery Rain in Sano washed out most of the game. By the time it stopped, the outfield was slow, the pitch had moisture, and the ball was turning like a Test match Day 5 pitch. India won the toss and skipper Shreyas Iyer chose to bat first — a decision he probably regretted 30 minutes later. Japanese spinners, who know this Sano ground like the back of their hand, just choked the star-studded Indian lineup. Abhishek Sharma went for a duck, mistiming a sweep off left-arm spinner Charlie Hara Hinze (2/17) Sanju Samson (10) was beautifully flighted by offie Ibrahim Takahashi (1/13) Ishan Kishan (3) tried to go against the turn and ballooned a simple catch India hit just THREE boundaries in 5 overs. Shreyas Iyer (16) was the top scorer, but even he looked like he was batting on a minefield. This wasn’t the flat Aichi-Nagoya pitch where our women’s team smashed runs for gold. This was a rank turner. In a 5-over game, there’s no time to rebuild. It’s a lottery — and Japan almost won it. The Chase: India Almost Got Embarrassed Defending just 32, India needed early wickets. But Japan came out with no fear. Ravi Bishnoi went for 10 in the 3rd over. Washington Sundar (2/13) did well, but leaked 7 in the 4th. Suddenly, Japan needed just 8 runs off the last over. Enter the experienced man — Axar Patel. Axar’s Masterclass Final Over This is why you need 150+ IPL games under your belt. With 8 needed off 6, Axar (2-0-7-0) just didn’t give Shirai Patmore and Benjamin Ito-Davis any room. Dot, dot, single, dot. The rain-soaked outfield did help India too. There was late drama as well. Umpire Chris Thurgate called two wides when Patmore tried a reverse slog and missed. Captain Shreyas Iyer was furious and had a long chat with leg-umpire Chris Brown — and got one wide overturned! In the end, Japan fell short by 2 runs. Game over. Heartbeat back to normal. The Takeaway Full credit to Japan. Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming read the conditions perfectly and his three spinners bowled out of their skin. On this pitch, they were unplayable. For India, it’s a wake-up call. You can’t take any team lightly in T20s, especially in a rain-curtailed 5-over game where conditions equalize everything. It was ugly. It was tense. But a win is a win. Man of the Moment: Axar Patel — For keeping his cool when everyone else was panicking. Post navigation Suchika Tariyal Secures India’s First-Ever Asian Games MMA Medal
