India vs Japan One-off T20I Full Commentary

... THE RUN CHASE ...

We are back for the chase! The players are already out in the middle. Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake and Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming are the two openers for Japan. Axar Patel will start proceedings with the ball.

Rain, stay away - The skies have become a bit more overcast, but we hope that the rain stays away for some more time, giving us the 5 overs of the chase. Fingers crossed.

History in the making? Japan have every right to believe a run-a-ball total is well within reach. The question now is whether their inexperienced batters can back up the work their bowlers have put in against a quality Indian bowling unit. The surface looks slow, something of a minefield to bat on, one where even Abhishek Sharma fell for a golden duck, and Kishan and Samson never quite got their timing right either. India have gone in with three spinners, and don't be surprised if we see an all-spin approach deployed at the other end too, mirroring exactly what Japan did with the ball. Back in a bit with the chase.

Gold Medal within reach - Elsewhere, India Women are now firmly in control of the Gold Medal match, having posted a commanding 216/3 from their 20 overs. Sri Lanka’s chase has completely unravelled in response, with the scoreboard reading 52/7 and the required rate climbing out of reach. India are now just three wickets away from wrapping up a dominant victory and securing the gold medal.

Spin does the trick for Japan - There are so many wins for this Japanese side to take from that opening burst already. Number one. They conceded just two boundaries in five overs, and against an Indian batting order capable of racking up triple figures inside the Powerplay alone, and picking up 4 enormous wickets will please them enormously. Number 2. Just as impressive was the energy the hosts brought to the field, hustling hard to save every run, while their spinners extracted prodigious turn to back it up. Together, it all painted the picture of a side overflowing with competitive spirit.

World Champions shocked - We are pretty certain that reading the scorecard right now might have surprised a few too many. And no one would have expected the Indian team to be restricted to 32/4 in 5 overs. But here we are. Japan were exceptional with the ball. And what a way to announce yourself, doing it against the very side that just defended its T20 World Cup crown earlier this year.

Just fantastic stuff from Japan in the field. Last ball remaining and Shivam Dube is out to face it.

India haven't been able to break free and we are already into the final over. Charlie Hara-Hinze (1-0-7-1) will wrap up.

Three overs of quality spin from Japan. Ibrahim Takahashi (1-0-5-1) to continue.

This is something truly exceptional, whatever we are witnessing here at Sano. Spin has trapped the Indian batters with the top three blown away. Tilak Varma is in at number 5.

Attention now turns to the Asian Games - That brings us to the end of a shortened but nail-biting contest, where Japan came agonisingly close to pulling off the unthinkable, only for India to hold their nerve and come up with the goods when it mattered most. Both sides will now turn their attention to their respective Asian Games campaigns. Japan begin with their opening game against Afghanistan on Thursday, 24 September, at 12 am GMT (5.30 am IST), while India have a little more time to prepare with a direct entry into the quarter-finals. Their quarter-final is scheduled for Monday, 28 September, beginning at 4.30 am GMT (10 am IST). As always, you can join us early for all the build-up to both matches. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

The victorious skipper of India - Shreyas Iyer collects the trophy from one of the dignitaries and poses for a few photographs. On the crowd at Sano and how significant it is to play cricket in Japan, Shreyas first congratulates India and Japan on their 75 years of diplomatic relationship. Says it was a long trip for them from Tokyo. Even reduced to five overs, he is simply glad a game happened. On the contest itself, he calls it an exciting one, and doesn't hold back in praising Japan for a genuinely brilliant showing of their own. Turning to his leadership role, Iyer reflects that responsibility naturally brings pressure, and it is a challenge, he says, he thrives on, always eager to explore what comes with it. On their aim to win the Gold Medal at the Asian Games, he stresses the importance of taking things one step at a time, and adds that they will reach Nisshin first and then assess the conditions there, setting a standard for the side and building from that foundation as things progress.

The captain of Japan - Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming says that he is extremely proud of the team, and when you get that close, it is always a tough one to take. Adds that given that they were able to take the best team in the world to the last ball, he is not only proud of his team, but also the broader community. Mentions that hearing someone like Shreyas talk about the progression of Japan cricket is quite surreal. He also gives credit to the title sponsor Suzuki, BCCI, and JCA for organising this game. Beyond them, the volunteers, ground staff, and the Women's team everyone deserves appreciation, as without them, this would not have been possible. Fleming shares it was pure excitement that drove them into the chase, with an 'anything is possible' attitude against India’s world-class spinners Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi. He acknowledges the challenge of batting on a spinning wicket but says the required rate of around 6.5 an over kept them believing that a couple of clean hits could change the game. He adds that the team was extremely proud to have taken the contest all the way to the final ball. He says there will be a few moments from the game that replay in their minds during the long bus ride to Nanjing, but the overriding feeling is one of pride. He praises 17-year-old Charlie Hara-Hinze, who has been around the men’s squad for a couple of years, saying he was unsurprised by the youngster’s performance after taking the first and fourth wickets. He also credits Ito-Davis and Takahashi for showing their ability against some of the world’s best players of spin. Looking ahead, he says reaching the knockout stages and potentially winning an Asian Games medal is definitely the goal. With only around 36 hours before their next game against another Full Member, he says the team will rest before preparing for the challenge, knowing a win in either of their next two matches could put them in contention to face another Full Member in the knockouts.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Shreyas Iyer wins the award for his valuable 16 off 12 balls. Iyer, on the adaptability and how tough it was to bat out there, admits that the ball was turning square. He explains that reading that early on, the priority became rotating the strike, taking the ones and twos wherever possible, rather than forcing the issue. His approach, he says, was simply to play each ball on its merit. He is quick to point out that this is exactly why a five-over game can swing either way, and doesn't hesitate to credit Japan for an approach he calls impeccable. He is confident that they are on the right track, and for his own side, he frames the whole experience as valuable practice on a testing surface.

Presentation Time...

A touch of class after the battle - While we wait for the presentation to get underway, the Japanese players are taking a lap around the ground to acknowledge the fans who have turned up to show their support. There is plenty of disappointment among the hosts, knowing just how close they came to pulling off a famous upset. Meanwhile, a few of the Indian players, including Jasprit Bumrah, are taking time to pose for pictures with the Japanese players and coaching staff, while also signing a few autographs for the fans. Some lovely scenes at the end of what has been a memorable contest.

A narrow escape for India - India quickly realised that spin was the way to go after experiencing the same challenges with the bat, and Axar Patel set the tone with a tidy first over, conceding just two runs. The visitors also picked up a run-out before Washington Sundar struck in his first over to keep Japan under pressure. Ravi Bishnoi was a little expensive, but Axar and Sundar kept things tight at the other end in the closing overs, doing enough to see India over the line in a game that threatened to turn into an embarrassing defeat.

A stunning bowling show - Earlier in the game, Japan stunned India with a superb bowling effort, led by their spinners, to restrict them to just 32/4 from five overs after the match was shortened. Charlie Hara-Hinze was the pick of the attack with two wickets, while Ibrahim Takahashi and Benjamin Ito-Davis chipped in with one apiece. India’s batters appeared caught off guard by a slow, turning surface and struggled to find their timing, with Shreyas Iyer’s 16 off 12 the highest score. No other Indian batter reached double figures, a rare sight for this side, particularly in this format.

The pressure tells at the finish - Chasing 33 from five overs, Japan were in early trouble at 7/2, but Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and Benjamin Ito-Davis refused to let the game slip away, taking 10 runs off Ravi Bishnoi’s over to keep the hosts firmly in the hunt.  The pressure eventually told, though, as Japan looked for boundaries rather than settling for the ones and twos that could have been enough. Even so, they took the chase down to the final ball, needing a boundary to pull off a stunning upset, but Shirai-Patmore could not find the big moment Japan were desperately searching for.

Japan falls just short - So close, yet so far for Japan! They came within touching distance of creating history, but India survived a huge scare to get their Asian Games campaign off to a winning start. Full credit to the hosts for their incredible fight and determination against the World Champions, but the Men in Blue had just enough in the end to hold their nerve and get over the line.

A bit of a discussion between Shreyas Iyer and the umpires, who is clearly not happy with the decision. The wide called has now been changed to a dot ball. So, 6 needed in 3 balls now.

India Women strike Gold - India Women have clinched the gold medal in emphatic fashion, bowling Sri Lanka out for just 69 to complete a huge 147-run victory. After Smriti Mandhana’s 79 and Shafali Verma’s 48 laid the platform, Richa Ghosh provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 49 to take India to 216/3. With the ball, it was once again the spinners who did the damage, squeezing Sri Lanka out of the chase. Deepti Sharma led the way with three wickets, while the others chipped in at regular intervals. It was a complete performance from India, with the batters setting up a daunting total before the spinners finished the job to seal another Asian Games gold.

This is becoming an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Japan need 8 runs in the final over. Axar Patel has the job of defending them. Also, Shirai-Patmore comes out to the middle.

15 needed in 12 balls for Japan. One more good over, and they will be on the verge of creating history.