In the press conference on Monday, India captain Shreyas Iyer had spoken about the unknowns surrounding their first-ever meeting with Japan in Sano on Tuesday.
The match was part of celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan, but once the players stepped onto the field, friendship was put aside.
And it was those unknowns that nearly came back to hurt India. On a pitch offering plenty of turn, Japan pushed them all the way and threatened a massive upset before Axar Patel held his nerve in the final over to pull off a two-run win in a five-over contest.