Japan host India in what is expected to be a historic occasion: a one-off Twenty20 International between the sides. The game will take place at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Sano, Kanto, on Tuesday, September 22. Japan are newcomers to cricket and are primarily known for their capabilities in baseball. India, therefore, will not face too many difficulties in trying to overcome any challenges sent their way. The Japanese, for their part, will want nothing more than an experience that they can be proud of.
Playing the defending T20 World Cup champions will be an uphill task for the home team, but they should not lose heart. Despite being minnows, Japan have several exciting players in their ranks such as Kendel Fleming, Declan Suzuki and Charlie Hara-Hinze. The presence of these players will also make it a welcoming environment for the home fans. India, for their part, will use this fixture as a warm-up for the Asian Games, which will be held in Aichi-Nagoya later this month. Shreyas Iyer’s men come here on the back of a convincing 3-0 series whitewash over Afghanistan, and are, therefore, in peak form.
Predicted Teams
JAP: Kendel Fleming (c), Kohei Kubota, Declan Suzuki, Alester Fleming, Makoto Taniyama, Benjamin Ito Davis, Wataru Miyauchi (wk), Shoma Slater, Ibrahim Takahashi, Jake Kusuda-Nairn, Charlie Hara-Hinze.
IND: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
Key Players
Kendel Fleming (JAP): Japan’s captain Kendell Fleming is one of the most exciting players in their side. The 30-year-old grew up in Australia and therefore has a taste of real cricket. While he is now leading Japan, Fleming has played grade-level club cricket in Australia and is quite well-developed as a batter. If the southpaw gets going at the top of the order, he can pose a major threat to the Indians, especially in the powerplay.
Ravi Bishnoi (IND): Varun Chakaravarthy’s injury will allow Ravi Bishnoi to test his wares against Japan. The leg-spinner is known for his ability to get the ball to skid through after pitching, and is quite wily in changing lines and lengths. Bishnoi’s pace makes him hard to pick off his wrist, but the fact that he hides his release point makes him a danger on all occasions.
Match Prediction
India are the downright favourites to win this match. Japan are not expected to come anywhere close to the might of the Indians. The Japanese are barely stepping into this sport and will still take some time to get used to its nitty-gritties. While playing at home will give them a boost in morale, Japan may not possess India’s quality, and will struggle because of that.
