Japan almost shock India in T20 thanks to Brisbane boy
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Brisbane based teen Charlie Hara-Hinze took a lead role as Japan nearly embarrassed India in a T20 international held to mark 75 years of friendship between the two nations.
The 17-year-old left-arm spinner, who dismissed Indian teen tyro Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the Under-19 World Cup late last year, sent back Abhishek Sharma for a duck and took the wicket of India skipper Shreyas Iyer.
In a match reduced to five overs per side India prevailed by two runs in a controversial finish.
The mostly symbolic game was delayed nearly three hours, first by the late arrival of match officials and the Indian team due to traffic and then by a wet outfield, before Japan gave the three-time world champions a huge scare.
India opted to bat and made 4-32 from their five overs, with Iyer scoring 16 off 12 balls.
Hara-Hinze, who plays for Northern Suburbs, Ian Healy’s former club, had Sharma caught first ball by Shoma Sugaya-Slater, who plays for NSW club Queanbeyan.
Axar Patel and Washington Sundar then held their own with the ball to defend India’s low score. Skipper Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming made 12 runs, but was unable to take his side past the finish line as Japan finished on 3-30.
In a tense last over with Japan needing six off four balls for victory, umpires overturned a wide bowled by Axar Patel to Alexander Shirai-Patmore. The batter attempted to hit the legside delivery into the offside with what could be interpreted as a switch hit.
When umpire Chris Thurgate of Japan signalled the wide Indian players protested. Square leg umpire Chris Brown of New Zealand intervened and the decision was reversed turning the target from five runs off four balls into six from three.
Despite the defeat, it was a heroic effort from the 41st-ranked Japanese team against the powerful India.
“The attitude and approach the Japanese team showed today was impeccable and kudos to them,” said Iyer.
The game was played as part of an agreement reached during a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to mark the 75th anniversary of the nations’ diplomatic relationship.
AP