India’s historic T20I against Japan faces a significant weather-related complication in Sano, with heavy rain brought by Typhoon Dujuan disrupting preparations and leaving the condition of the playing surface under scrutiny less than 24 hours before the match.
The one-off contest is scheduled to begin at 1pm local time on Tuesday, September 22, at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Tochigi Prefecture. While the worst of the storm is expected to move away from the region before the match, the combination of persistent rain, a saturated outfield and the possibility of further showers has created uncertainty around the fixture.
India were unable to train on Monday after adverse weather forced their scheduled practice session to be abandoned. The disruption is particularly significant because the players have had little opportunity to familiarise themselves with conditions at a venue where they have never previously played an international match. Captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged ahead of the game that India had limited information about how the surface might behave, making the loss of the training session an additional complication before an unusual assignment.
Sano ground already hit by rain
The concern is not merely based on Tuesday’s forecast. The same Sano International Cricket Ground was unable to stage Japan’s second T20I against Hong Kong, China on September 20, with the match abandoned without a toss because of the conditions.
That leaves ground recovery as arguably the most important variable heading into India’s match. Even if the heavier rain clears before Tuesday afternoon, an outfield that has absorbed substantial rainfall over successive days could still delay the toss or the start of play.
Weather forecasts for Sano presently indicate a considerably improved picture compared with Monday, although the threat of showers has not disappeared. The probability of precipitation is expected to rise during the afternoon, with the period between 2pm and 3pm carrying the greatest risk of interruptions.
Typhoon Dujuan brought heavy rainfall and strong winds across parts of the Kanto region on Monday, with warnings issued for flooding and other weather-related hazards. Sano remained under a heavy-rain warning overnight, although conditions are expected to ease considerably by Tuesday morning as the system moves away.
For India, the uncertainty adds another layer to what is already an unusual fixture. The match against Japan is a friendly and does not form part of the Asian Games competition, with India scheduled to begin their Games campaign directly from the quarterfinal stage on September 28.
The Indian team will also wear its regular BCCI jersey against Japan before switching to its official Asian Games kit for the tournament itself. There has been no indication from organisers that Tuesday’s match has been called off, and the improving forecast offers reason for optimism. However, after India’s preparation was washed out and another international at the same venue was abandoned only two days earlier, the state of the Sano outfield — as much as the weather overhead — could ultimately determine whether the historic contest begins on schedule.
