Tokyo [Japan], September 22 (ANI): India won the toss and opted to bat against Japan in a historic one-off T20I on Tuesday, with captain Shreyas Iyer saying the match would provide an opportunity to assess the conditions ahead of the Asian Games.
The India vs Japan T20I has been cut short to a five-over contest due to frequent rain interruptions before the start of the match.
Iyer said India wanted to bat first and make the most of the occasion, while also getting a feel for the conditions and the pitches that will be offered during the continental event.
"We are going to bat first. It is a big occasion; it is going to be an exciting one, and we want to explore the conditions. It is going to be a 5-over side, so we want to bat first," Iyer said.
The India captain also reflected on leading the side in Japan and said the game would be important in understanding the conditions ahead of the Asian Games.
"I never envisioned that I would be coming to Japan and captaining India. It is important we know the conditions and what is happening around us. These are the pitches that will be offered at the Asian Games, so this game is important heading into that," he added.
Japan captain Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming said she would have preferred to bowl first but was happy with the outcome of the toss, while expressing excitement at playing against India.
"We probably would have bowled. I was happy either way. It is pure excitement; it is starting to sink now, and hopefully we can put on a show," Kadowaki-Fleming said.
The Japan captain also acknowledged the support from Indian fans and described India's presence as a significant moment for Japanese cricket.
"There is quite a few Indian supporters here. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has made this game happen. It is amazing, reigning world champions coming here, we wouldn't have believed it a few years ago," she added.
Teams:
India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Yash Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh
Japan (Playing XI): Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake, Reo Sakurano-Thomas, Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming(c), Benjamin Ito-Davis, Wataru Miyauchi, Alexander Shirai-Patmore(w), Charlie Hara-Hinze, Ibrahim Takahashi, Declan Suzuki-McComb, Makoto Taniyama, Shoma Sugaya-Slater
India opt to bat in historic one-off T20I against Japan
