The much-anticipated one-off T20I between Japan and India at the Sano International Cricket Ground was played as a five-over-per-side contest after wet outfield delayed its start. There was incessant rain in the lead-up to the historic clash due to Typhoon Dujuan, forcing the game to a delayed start.

When the , it turned out to be a low-scoring thriller. Japan used only spinners for all five overs to restrict India to just 32 runs for the loss of four wickets. India also responded with five overs of spin, but the game went right down to the wire, leaving the three-time T20I champions worried.

The equation had come down to seven runs off four balls when Axar bowled a wide and followed it up with another wide delivery down the leg side. Alexander Shirai-Patmore went for the reverse sweep only to miss it and umpire Chris Thurgate ruled it a wide. However, the decision was after Axar Patel and Sanju Samson expressed their displeasure, and captain Shreyas Iyer had a word with leg-umpire Chris Brown.

With six needed off the last three balls, Axar then made sure to not concede a boundary as India registered a two-run win in a last-ball thriller.

Latest ICC men's T20I rankings: Updated table after Japan vs India

India reclaimed their top spot in the ICC men’s T20I rankings with the win, only two days after England had toppled them with a 3-0 series win over Sri Lanka.

1		65	17480	269
2		41	11021	269
3		38	9868	260
4		50	12348	247
5		53	12881	243
6		57	13679	240
7		56	13079	234
8		53	11860	224
9		47	10334	220
10		39	8565	220
11		29	5942	205
12		59	11911	202
13		20	3650	183
14		24	4311	180
15		41	7358	179
16		43	7699	179
17		23	4116	179
18		57	9961	175
19		43	6619	154
20		26	3864	149
21		47	6669	142
22		20	2743	137
23		15	1988	133
24		49	6354	130
25		53	6685	126
26		29	3585	124
27		16	1961	123
28		36	4297	119
29		21	2484	118
30		65	7636	117
31		20	2295	115
32		50	5434	109
33		26	2825	109
34		30	2967	99
35		28	2525	90
36		24	2028	85
37		20	1682	84
38		30	2488	83
39		24	1915	80
40		45	3489	78
41		39	2867	74
42		31	2211	71
43		66	4293	65
44		36	2151	60
45		33	1923	58
46		29	1623	56
47		36	2006	56
48		14	758	54
49		35	1753	50
50		43	2134	50

: Rating is the ratio between points and matches. India’s rating comes to 268.92, whereas England now stand at 268.80, both of which are rounded off to 269.

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