{
  "id": 9115537,
  "title": "India narrowly avoid one of greatest upsets in cricket history to beat Japan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/india-narrowly-avoid-one-of-greatest-upsets-in-cricket-history-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-22T09:13:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/india-narrowly-avoid-one-greatest-091302991.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "India narrowly avoided one of the most astonishing upsets in cricket history as they secured a two-run victory over Japan in a truncated T20 match at Sano. Due to rain, the game was limited to just five overs. India batted first, with Shreyas Iyer contributing a score of 16 runs from 12 balls and Sanju Samson adding nine runs. However, the placid pitch posed challenges for the Indian team. Charlie Hara-Hinze took two wickets for 17 runs, but India finished their innings on 32 runs for four wickets. Japan's response was led by Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming with 12 runs before being dismissed, while Benjamin Ito-Davis added nine runs. A dramatic moment occurred in the final over when India was aggrieved over a wide decision. After a discussion with the square leg umpire, the decision was overturned. Despite the controversy, India managed to scrape a two-run victory. The match was a diplomatic effort by Japan, who aimed to familiarize themselves with conditions in Japan before the Asian Games title defence. India agreed to the encounter, partly due to the opportunity to adapt to the conditions. The result could see India face Japan in their Asian Games opener, as they prepare to begin their campaign in the quarter-finals, bypassing the group stage alongside Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.",
  "summary": "India escaped with a narrow two-run win over Japan ahead of their Asian Games title defence",
  "key_points": [
    "India beat Japan in truncated T20 match",
    "Match limited to five overs due to rain",
    "India wins two-run victory after controversy"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Meet Abhishek Anand, from IIT Kanpur and IT job to Japan’s cricket team",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/meet-abhishek-anand-from-iit-kanpur-and-it-job-to-japans-cricket-team",
        "published": "2026-09-22T06:08:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}