Japan pushed India to the final ball in Sano curtain‑raiser ahead of 2026 Asian Games
Japan and India faced each other in Sano last week in a curtailed, five‑over match staged as a prelude to the 2026 Asian Games, with India edging out a narrow escape. Axar Patel’s final delivery was a dot ball as Japan, ranked 41st in the world, came within three runs of defeating the defending T20 world champions.
The fixture grew from a campaign by Japan’s cricket officials after the sport was added to the Asian Games programme; Naoki Alex Miyaji, chief executive of the Japan Cricket Association, said: “Initially I thought the idea of Japan playing India was just a dream.” Political and diplomatic contacts helped; in January Japan’s foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, visited New Delhi and exchanged gifts with S Jaishankar, and Motegi’s parliamentary constituency includes Sano. Six months later Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Narendra Modi signed an agreement that reportedly mentioned a cricket match intended as a grassroots curtain‑raiser to the diplomatic anniversary and a prelude to the Asian Games.
Organisers rebuilt the Sano wicket using a locally sourced clay that had been chosen for Games venues, with Sri Lankan groundsman Mahesh Bopage assisting the work at the ground inside the campus of a disused high school. Suzuki Motors became the match’s main sponsor and tickets priced at ¥10,000 (£48) sold out in three hours, many bought by members of Japan’s Indian community; temporary stands were erected to quadruple capacity to 2,000.
Hours before the game, Typhoon Dujuan forced the cancellation of an open practice and left the outfield waterlogged, prompting about 200 volunteers to work through the night to remove water and repair the playing area. Between 20 and 30 people were on the pitch at any one time, mopping with sponges and removing water by the shovelful until the forecast sunshine arrived and a decisive pitch inspection allowed play to proceed. “It was an incredible feeling,” Miyaji said, adding that he had been thinking, “please, please, let us play some cricket.”
When the outfield remained too wet for the scheduled 1pm start, match officials reduced the contest to five overs per side and set Japan a target of 33. The 2,149 spectators were treated to compressive drama across ten overs: boundaries and catches, aggressive spin, a run out and a contentious decision in which the on‑field umpires overturned a wide that would have left Japan needing six runs off four balls.
Fans and first‑time viewers created a lively atmosphere; Ravi, an Indian supporter who travelled from Shizuoka more than 200 miles away, said: “That was a scary half hour.” He added: “But I’m really proud of Japan, too. They got the chance to improve themselves by playing India, and they put on a magnificent show.” Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X: “There’s something very special about watching cricket find new homes,” and added, “We’ve all had our first cricket match. It’s lovely to see more people getting theirs.”
The match provided a high‑profile warm‑up to the Asian Games, which opened in Aichi‑Nagoya this month, and will feed directly into the multi‑sport event where India are defending the title they won in 2023 in Hangzhou.
