A bizarre wide call, an intervention from the square-leg umpire and a two-run escape. India’s rain-shortened T20I against Japan had all the ingredients of a far more dramatic contest than a five-over game had any right to produce.
With Japan needing eight runs in the final over, Alexander Shirai-Patmore attempted a reverse hit against Axar Patel off the over’s third ball. He was beaten. Japanese umpire Chris Thurgate called it a wide.
The next ball produced an identical attempt and, again, wide was signalled.
Wide-ball drama
Suddenly, Japan needed only five from four balls. India’s players were visibly unhappy. Then New Zealand’s Chris Brown,
Our publication features several staff writers, allowing us to report on different events and offer expert perspectives across various subjects.