India survived a major scare against Japan, winning a rain-shortened Twenty20 match by two runs at Sano International Cricket Ground on Tuesday, but the victory was overshadowed by a controversial umpiring decision.
The match was reduced to five overs per side after rain. India, the three-time T20 world champions, were set a target of 33. They finished on 32-4, with captain Shreyas Iyer scoring 16 off 12 balls. Japan’s Charlie Hara-Hinze had earlier dismissed openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan.
Japan began their chase cautiously. Axar Patel dismissed Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake in the first over. Washington Sundar bowled the second over, conceding six runs and taking a wicket. India continued with spin, and Japan scored 17 runs in the next two overs, but lost captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming for 12.
In the final over, Japan needed eight runs with seven wickets in hand. Patel bowled a wide, then a single. The next delivery was also signalled wide by the umpire as Alexander Shirai-Patmore attempted a reverse-sweep but missed the ball. Iyer and Patel protested the call. After a brief consultation, the umpires reversed their decision, denying Japan the run and the extra ball. Japan managed three singles from the last three balls, falling two runs short.
The reversal came without a review. In normal circumstances, when umpires are unsure, they refer to the TV umpire, and the decision is reviewed on screen. That did not happen here. The on-field umpires simply changed their call, and no explanation was given. Publicly disputing an umpire’s decision is also against the spirit of the game, but India’s captain and bowler did not hold back.
Source: www.aljazeera.com — Read the original article
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