‘They were brilliant’: Iyer praises Japan after India survive two-run scare

Sano, Sep 22 : India captain Shreyas Iyer praised Japan for their spirited performance and hailed the efforts behind the historic five-over contest after India held their nerve to edge the hosts by two runs in Sano on Tuesday.

“First, congratulations to Japan and India for 75 years of diplomatic relationship. It's something that we keep talking about every now and then when we arrive,” Iyer said after the match.

“Talking about today's occasion, it was a long travel for us. It took us three hours to reach here, but at the back of our mind, we had only one thing, that we want to play the game, excite the crowd who has come to see the game and the supporters who've been thriving to see to it that this match was organised,” he added.

The game started only after an almost 2.5-hour delay caused by the wet outfield and was finally limited to five overs per side. India were all out for 32 runs on a score of 4, following the effective use of the conditions by Japan's spinners, Iyer scoring 16 off 12 balls.

Japan then nearly reached 33, but India held on to the total by two runs, with Washington Sundar taking two wickets and Axar Patel maintaining control.

The fact that the match took place despite the difficult circumstances, Iyer stated, made the event special.

“So congratulations to everyone who has been present over here to deliver this particular game, and it's come out so fantastic. Even though it was five overs, I personally feel that at least we got a game to see and to honestly experience such a great performance from Japanese team and also Indian players as well.

“Yeah, overall, I feel it was an exciting game and yeah, honestly they were also brilliant with their performances,” he stated.

The victory was also India’s 200th in T20 internationals, including Super Over wins, while Japan’s performance gave them plenty of encouragement ahead of their Asian Games campaign.

For Iyer, the match also provided an opportunity to lead the T20 World Cup champions and Asian Games gold medalists, a responsibility he said he relishes.

“I think it's a pleasure to be leading the Indian team with the performances you've seen in the past, winning so many trophies. It's a great responsibility as well, but without responsibility, it doesn't come pressure, and I feel that I thrive under pressure.

“So it's a great role for me, and I always feel that the captaincy is something that gets the best out of me, so I'm always loving to explore this,” he mentioned.

India will now turn their attention to their Asian Games campaign, with Iyer stressing the importance of focusing on the immediate challenge rather than looking too far ahead.

“See, that is the eventual goal, but it's important that we take one step at a time. First we go to Nagoya, assess the conditions and have the awareness how the wicket is going to play. I'm sure there are other teams as well who come with the same motive, but for us it's about setting a standard and keep going beyond that and not think about what has happened in the past or what's going to come. So the more we stick to the present, the better for us,” Iyer concluded.