India’s Sanju Samson, left, bats against Japan (AP/PTI)
The result also saw India become the first team to register 200 wins in men’s T20Is, including victories in Super Overs. The game had promised fireworks from India’s batting line-up, but it was Japan’s spinners who stole the show. With the match reduced to five overs per side after a delayed start caused by the wet outfield, Japan used spin for all five overs and found plenty of assistance from the surface. Alexander Shirai-Patmore attempted another reverse sweep and the delivery went down the leg side. The initial decision was called wide, much to the frustration of Axar and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson. With the final margin just two runs, the overturned call added another layer of intrigue to an already dramatic contest. Had the original wide decision stood, Japan would have received an additional run and one more delivery in a match eventually decided by just two runs.
India survived a massive scare against Japan to clinch a thrilling two-run victory in the historic one-off T20 International in Sano on Tuesday, with the run-truncated contest producing one of the closest finishes in the team’s T20I history.