India, Sept. 22 -- India narrowly avoided one of the greatest upsets in international cricket history, scraping past Japan by just two runs in a rain-curtailed five-over thriller on Tuesday.

Defending a tiny total of 32 at the Sano International Cricket Ground, the Men in Blue held their nerves in the final over to restrict the spirited hosts to 30 for three.

The historic one-off T20I, delayed by more than two hours due to a wet outfield, turned into a chaotic shootout where reputations counted for little.

While Japan's disciplined bowlers pushed India to the absolute brink, all-rounder Washington Sundar stepped up with the ball to deliver a dramatic escape for Shreyas Iyer's side.

Toss: India won the toss and elected to bat first

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