For a team that has been at the top of the globe as a three-time T20 World Cup champion, India is a word that means power, prestige, and winning matches with ease. Cricket, however, is a sport where the difference can be a matter of centimeters and even inches.
After a two-run thriller against Japan that was halted by rain at the Sano International Cricket Ground, the Men in Blue reminded the fans of their ability to pull off the most dramatic comebacks and narrow victories.
While the win over Japan will certainly be remembered as one of the closest wins the team has ever had, it is not the first time they have walked away from a match with nothing more than a draw.
Take a look at India's narrow T20I wins by runs, listed from the most heart-stopping to the most historic
1. The One-Run Miracles (South Africa, 2012 & Bangladesh, 2016)
India's limit of survival is not far from a single run, as it has managed the miracle on two separate occasions on the stage of a World T20.
Colombo (2012): Against the bowling attack of South Africa, a crumbling Indian batting order managed a sub-par total of 152/6, thanks to an explosive 45 by Suresh Raina. The task of defending the total seemed impossible as the Proteas raced to 151/5 with Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji both claiming three wickets each, while Yuvraj Singh bagged two scalps and the player of the match spot to finish off the Tigers.
Bengaluru (2016): While Colombo might have been tense, Bengaluru was pure drama as India defended a modest total of 146/7 against Bangladesh. When needing just two runs off the final three balls with four wickets in hand, the Tigers crashed to an unbelievable one-run win, thanks to three wickets falling off the final three deliveries as Ashwin, Jadeja, and Pandya pulled off an unbelievable escape.
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2.Mumbai Magic Against Sri Lanka
India has had its fair share of thrillers at the Wankhede Stadium, but perhaps the closest shave came this year in the opening T20I against Sri Lanka.
Chasing a modest total of 162, India came close to a famous tie when needing just five runs off the final three balls with the score reading 157/7. The onus fell on the last two batters, but a brilliant last over saw a two-run win as India held its nerve to register a six-wicket win.
3. (Tie) The Sano Scare Against Japan
Tied to Mumbai's scare is India's tie against Japan at Sano International Cricket Ground as the world champions were looking at an exit. The match was washed out in the fifth over of a rain-curtailed five-over match.
India looked set to fall as early wickets fell, but skipper Shreyas Iyer remained steady and scored 16 off 12 to help his side reach a precarious 32/4. Japan had the job of chasing down eight runs off the final over, but India's left-arm spinner Axar Patel proved to be the hero as he locked horns with the batters to pull off a two-run thriller and heartbreak for the hosts.
4. Harare Heroics Against Zimbabwe (2016)
To wrap up the list is a thrilling escape by way of a three-run win in Harare in 2016. The second string side had come to Harare to play the second Test of a three-match series which was level at 1-1. Chasing 139, the tourists stumbled to a well-below-par 138/6 with Kedar Jadhav scoring an unbeaten 58.
India's bowlers then stepped up to restrict the hosts to 135/6 in their 20 overs to register a three-run win and take the series 2-1.