Japan’s women’s cricket team walked away with a positive outlook after their Asian Games quarter-final match on Friday, even as they faced a difficult loss against the formidable Indian side. Despite being eliminated from the tournament, players described the encounter with the world-ranked powerhouse as an invaluable experience.
The match saw India, which sits behind only Australia and England in global rankings, dominate the pitch. They successfully bowled out the host nation for just 57 runs in 19.5 overs. India’s pursuit was swift, with opener Shafali Verma hitting an unbeaten 40 off only 15 deliveries to secure an eight-wicket victory by reaching 59-2 in just five overs.
For Japan’s Ahilya Chandel, the match offered a unique perspective. “This opportunity was amazing, especially for me,” she remarked, noting that as someone of partial Indian heritage, the chance to face the team she had previously only seen on television was particularly meaningful. She emphasized that the lopsided scoreline provided essential lessons for the team to consider as they prepare to face high-ranked opponents in the future.
The game was held at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nagoya, where the local crowd offered significant support. Chandel noted that the home turnout included friends, family, and curious fans who were being introduced to cricket for the first time. The team views this increased visibility as a major win for their long-term goal of popularizing the sport in baseball-dominated Japan.
This is Japan’s third appearance at the Asian Games, a platform they are leveraging to expand their reach. Following Friday’s results, India is set to move on to Sunday’s semi-finals against Bangladesh, while Pakistan is scheduled to face Sri Lanka. The latter pair of fixtures was confirmed after Sri Lanka secured a dominant 86-run victory over Malaysia in their own quarter-final clash earlier that day. The report also notes that where it is a minority sport, japan have appeared in two previous Asian Games and are benefiting from a push to promote cricket in the baseball-obsessed country.
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