‘Disgraceful’: Did India bully umpires to win Japan T20 cricket match?
It was the thinnest of margins, and a wide controversy. Cricket world champions India are being accused of bullying the umpires in a Twenty20 match against minnows Japan, who came very close to scri…
Cricket world champions India are being accused of bullying the umpires in a Twenty20 match against minnows Japan, who came very close to scripting a major upset but fell short by two runs in a one-off encounter before the Asian Games.
Set a modest target of 33 by the three-time T20 world champions in a rain-curtailed match, Japan ended their innings on 30-3, handing India a two-run win at the Sano International Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
However, the match took a controversial turn in the final over as the hosts inched closer to the target.
India’s captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss after rain shortened the match to five overs per side. In T20 cricket, each innings is normally 20 overs long.
Japan made a dream start when Charlie Hara-Hinze had star Indian opener Abhishek Sharma caught in the first over. He then dismissed Ishan Kishan with the second ball of his second over to give the hosts hope of restricting India to a low total.
Iyer’s 12-ball 16 resurrected India’s innings as they finished on 32-4.
The hosts began their run chase on the slow and low-scoring wicket with caution. Slow left-arm bowler Axar Patel opened for India and dismissed Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake off his fourth delivery.
Japan needed 31 runs off the remaining four overs but lost another wicket while scoring six runs in the second, bowled by off-spinner Washington Sundar.
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