India survive Japan scare in five-over contest; Skipper Iyer says, "I thrive under pressure" after thriller victory in historic event

India survived a spirited challenge from Japan to secure a narrow two-run victory in the first-ever meeting between the two sides, with the reigning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions holding their nerve in a thrilling five-over contest.

India survived a spirited challenge from Japan to secure a narrow two-run victory in the first-ever meeting between the two sides, with the reigning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions holding their nerve in a thrilling five-over contest. Play was reduced to five overs per side after a significant portion of the scheduled time was lost due to a wet outfield. India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat, but Japan’s bowlers made an immediate impact. Charlie Hara-Hinze dismissed the dangerous Abhishek Sharma off the first ball, before Ibrahim Takahashi struck two deliveries later to remove Sanju Samson and leave India in early trouble.

Benjamin Ito-Davis compounded India’s problems by dismissing Ishan Kishan in the third over, reducing the reigning champions to 14/3. India managed to add eight runs in the fourth over, but Hara-Hinze returned in the final over to dismiss skipper Iyer, restricting India to 32/4. Japan began the chase cautiously but remained within touching distance of the target. Axar Patel made an early breakthrough by dismissing Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake while conceding just two runs in the opening over. Washington Sundar followed in the second over, removing Ibrahim Takahashi and giving away six runs.

Japan then found momentum in the third over, with Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming and Benjamin Ito-Davis combining for 10 runs. Six runs came from the penultimate over, leaving Japan needing eight from the final over to pull off a historic victory. Axar Patel held his nerve when it mattered most, conceding just five runs in the final over as India successfully defended their total and escaped with a hard-fought two-run victory.

Following the victory, skipper Iyer said captaining the Indian team is both a privilege and a significant responsibility, adding that he enjoys pressure and believes leadership brings out the best in him. "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. 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," Iyer said after the match.

On India’s Asian Games campaign, Iyer said winning another gold medal would be the ultimate objective, but stressed the importance of taking the tournament one step at a time. He said the team would first assess the conditions in Nagoya and focus on maintaining high standards while staying in the present rather than dwelling on past results or future expectations. "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. I'm sure there are other teams as well who come with the same motive, but 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," he added.

Iyer also highlighted the significance of the India-Japan fixture in Sano, noting the two countries’ 75 years of diplomatic relations. He praised the organisers, crowd and supporters for making the event special despite the long journey and said it was encouraging to see the match go ahead even after being reduced to five overs per side. Iyer also lauded Japan’s performance and said the contest provided an exciting experience for both the players and spectators, despite its shortened format.

"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. And 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 organized. 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. So yeah, overall, I feel it was an exciting game and yeah, honestly they were also brilliant with their performances," he concluded. Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming also shared his thoughts after the game, reflecting on what has been, irrespective of the result, a historic day for Japanese cricket.

“When it gets that tough, it gets a little tough to take. The fact that we were able to run the best team in the world to the last ball. Proud of the cricket group and broader community,” said Kadowaki-Fleming. “We knew it was going to be a challenge, but at 6.5 RPO you know your mind wanders, a couple of moments will wander in our mind on long bus ride, ” he added. (ANI)