India Crawl To 32/4 In 5 Over Match; Shocked Netizens Ask, 'What Is Going On?'

Japan’s relatively unknown spin attack rattled a star-studded Indian batting line-up on a tricky, turning track, restricting India to 32 for four in a rain-shortened five-over-a-side one-off T20 International here on Tuesday.

Persistent rain left considerable moisture underneath the surface, allowing Japan’s spinners to extract sharp turn. Left-arm spinner Charlie Hara Hinze claimed two wickets for 17 runs, while off-spinner Ibrahim Takahashi took one for 13.

The match was reduced to five overs due to wet outfield. Shreyas Iyer then opted to bat first with the expectation of putting a huge score on board. However, the conditions on offer were far from ideal.

Shreyas Iyer top-scored for India with 16 and struck a boundary, but the sluggish nature of the pitch made it difficult for the Indian batters to play shots across the line. The combination of sharp turn and a slow surface proved decisive, while the abbreviated format gave India little opportunity to recover.

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Abhishek Sharma was the first to fall without scoring, miscuing a slog sweep off Hara-Hinze. Takahashi then outfoxed Sanju Samson, who scored 10, with a flighted delivery that prompted him to hit in the air and find the mid-wicket boundary fielder.

Benjamin Ito-Davis joined the wicket-taking effort by dismissing Ishan Kishan for three. Kishan repeatedly tried to attack against the turn but eventually ballooned a shot towards mid-off.

Japan’s three-pronged spin attack deserves credit for exploiting the conditions effectively. Captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming also read the surface well, using his bowlers smartly at a venue where the Japanese side plays all its home matches.