India Edge Japan by Two Runs in Five-Over Thriller

Sano — India captain Shreyas Iyer praised Japan’s performance after his team survived a major scare to secure a two-run victory in a rain-shortened five-over match Tuesday.

The contest began after a delay of nearly 2½ hours because of a wet outfield and was reduced to five overs per side.

India struggled against Japan’s spinners and were bowled out for 32, with Iyer top-scoring with 16 off 12 balls.

Japan then came close to pulling off an upset but finished two runs short of the target. Washington Sundar took two wickets, while Axar Patel helped India maintain control late in the innings.

“First, congratulations to Japan and India for 75 years of diplomatic relationship. It’s something that we keep talking about every now and then when we arrive,” Iyer said after the match.

He said the team had endured a three-hour journey to the venue but remained determined to play and entertain the crowd.

“Talking about today’s occasion, it was a long travel for us. It took us three hours to reach here, but at the back of our mind, we had only one thing, that we want to play the game, excite the crowd who has come to see the game and the supporters who’ve been thriving to see to it that this match was organised,” Iyer said.

Iyer also praised organizers for ensuring the match went ahead despite the difficult conditions.

“So congratulations to everyone who has been present over here to deliver this particular game, and it’s come out so fantastic. Even though it was five overs, I personally feel that at least we got a game to see and to honestly experience such a great performance from Japanese team and also Indian players as well,” he said.

“Yeah, overall, I feel it was an exciting game and yeah, honestly they were also brilliant with their performances,” he added.

The victory marked India’s 200th win in T20 internationals, including Super Over victories.

Iyer said captaining India remains a responsibility he enjoys.

“I think it’s a pleasure to be leading the Indian team with the performances you’ve seen in the past, winning so many trophies. It’s a great responsibility as well, but without responsibility, it doesn’t come pressure, and I feel that I thrive under pressure,” he said.

“So it’s a great role for me, and I always feel that the captaincy is something that gets the best out of me, so I’m always loving to explore this.”

India will next turn its attention to the Asian Games, with Iyer saying the team would focus on conditions in Nagoya rather than looking too far ahead.

“See, that is the eventual goal, but it’s important that we take one step at a time. First we go to Nagoya, assess the conditions and have the awareness how the wicket is going to play,” he said.

“For us it’s about setting a standard and keep going beyond that and not think about what has happened in the past or what’s going to come. So the more we stick to the present, the better for us.” (Source: IANS)