Japan's spinners hold India to 32 for 4 in rain-shortened five-over international

Japan's spinners held India to 32 for 4 in a rain-shortened five-over international at Sano, leaving the hosts 33 to win on the sides' first meeting

The first men's international between India and Japan was cut to five overs a side by a wet outfield, and the 30 balls India were given to bat brought them 32 for 4 at Sano International Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bat. India's captain was the only batter to reach double figures, making 16 from 12 balls before falling on the penultimate ball of the innings.

Japan used three bowlers, all of them spinners, and none of them conceded more than 17 runs. Japan need 33 to win the fixture, which the two boards have named the Suzuki Cup.

A long delay for a short game

The toss was held back by a wet outfield, with inspections pushed from 9.45am IST to 10.30 and then 10.45 before the umpires settled on five overs a side.

The powerplay was set at 1.3 overs, which meant the fielding restrictions were gone before either side had drawn breath.

"It's a big occasion, and we know the friendship you mentioned, 75 years of friendship," Iyer said at the toss.

The ground holds about 3,000, and its tickets sold out within an hour of going on sale.

Two wickets inside two overs

Abhishek Sharma was out to the first ball he faced, caught at short fine leg by Shoma Sugaya-Slater off Charlie Hara-Hinze, and India were 7 for 1 at the end of the first over.

Sanju Samson followed two balls later for 9 from 7, caught at deep midwicket by Benjamin Ito-Davis off Ibrahim Takahashi, and Ishan Kishan made 3 from 6 before Makoto Taniyama took a catch at extra cover in the third over.

That left India 14 for 3 with two and a bit overs of their allocation still to bat.

Iyer alone against the turn

Iyer was the only batter who got away at all, and the innings closed with him caught by Taniyama off Hara-Hinze at 32 for 4 with one ball left.

Tilak Varma finished 1 not out from three balls and Shivam Dube was unbeaten without scoring from one. Samson and Iyer hit a boundary apiece, and three wides were the whole of India's extras.

India's side at Sano also carried Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur and Arshdeep Singh, a bowling group that had only five overs of its own to work with. The teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi travelled with the squad but was not picked.

Japan keep it spinning

Hara-Hinze took 2-17 from his two overs, Takahashi 1-13 from two, and Ito-Davis conceded two runs and took a wicket in the only over he bowled.

Reporting from the ground described a surface that gripped and turned from the opening delivery, and none of India's batters were able to line the spinners up.

Japan are captained by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, and their side at Sano also included Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Reo Sakurano-Thomas and the wicketkeeper Alexander Shirai-Patmore.

Japan's reply had not started when India's innings closed, leaving the hosts 33 to win from five overs of their own against India's bowlers, none of whom had yet been called on.

Seventy-five years of relations

The match is the first event under Sport 75, an initiative marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, and the BCCI and the Japan Cricket Association designated it the Suzuki Cup.

It is also the last competitive hit-out for both teams before the Asian Games cricket tournament in Aichi-Nagoya.

"If I'm able to maybe inspire a Japanese kid to play cricket, boy or girl, that would be my greatest success story," Ito-Davis said before the match.

Scorecard: India 32 for 4 in 5 overs (Shreyas Iyer 16, Sanju Samson 9; Charlie Hara-Hinze 2-17, Ibrahim Takahashi 1-13); Japan need 33 to win.

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