ind vs jpn: India Win by 2 Runs After Wide Row
India edged Japan by two runs in the one-off T20I after a controversial wide was overturned in the final over at Sano International Cricket Ground. The…
SANO — India beat Japan by two runs in the one-off T20I after a wide ball call was overturned in the final over at Sano International Cricket Ground on Tuesday. The rain-shortened ind vs jpn match was reduced to five overs per side and finished with Japan on 30-3, chasing a revised target of 33.
The result kept India out of a shock defeat, but the closing over drew the biggest attention. Japan needed eight runs from the final over, then the umpires changed a wide decision after India’s complaints, trimming the equation to six runs from three balls.
ind vs jpn turns on a disputed wide
India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss after rain cut the game to five overs a side. Japan made the brighter start. Charlie Hara-Hinze removed Abhishek Sharma in the first over, then took Ishan Kishan with the second ball of his next over.
India were in trouble at 32-4 before Iyer’s 12-ball 16 lifted them to 32-4, according to BBC Sport’s scoreline. Japan then responded with discipline on a slow pitch and kept the chase alive for most of the evening.
Axar Patel opened the attack for India and dismissed Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake off his fourth delivery. Washington Sundar followed with another wicket as Japan were forced to rebuild under pressure. Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming made 12, but Japan never found the boundary count they needed.
The decisive moment came when Patel returned for the last over. Japan needed eight off it with seven wickets in hand. After a dot ball and a single, Patel bowled a wide down the leg side. The umpire signaled it, then changed the call after a discussion with the other umpire and India’s captain.
BBC Sport reported that the overturn took the target from five runs off four balls to six off three. Axar then finished the over, ending with 0-7 from two overs. Japan finished on 30-3.
Why the result matters
For India, the win mattered because it came in a match where the top order stumbled badly and the margin stayed thin until the last delivery. For Japan, it was a near-upset that showed they could push world champions deep into a game even in a five-over shootout. The result will also fuel scrutiny of how umpires handled the final over in a match with no decision review system in place.
BBC Sport noted that the ICC playing conditions for men’s T20 internationals say a batter loses wide protection from the moment they change hand or foot position to play a reverse shot. In this case, Alexander Shirai-Patmore had been attempting a reverse-sweep when Patel’s delivery was called wide, then overturned after the discussion.
Al Jazeera described the match as one where Japan “came very close to scripting a major upset but fell short by two runs.” That line matched the mood at the ground. Japan had India wobbling early, then nearly took the game to the final ball.
India’s innings never fully recovered from the early blows. Abhishek Sharma fell for a first-ball duck, while Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan also departed cheaply. Shreyas Iyer was the only batter to pass 10 in the brief innings, and his 16 off 12 was enough to set up a tense finish that will be remembered for the overturned wide more than the scoreboard itself.
Source: cricinfo.com
