Skipper and guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi was India’s top performer, scoring 24 points, collecting eight rebounds and having a hand in five assists, but the team, ranked 61 in the world, let go of the momentum in the latter part of the second quarter and were left to play catch-up thereafter.

Amjyot Singh and Amrit Pal Singh, who play professionally in Japan, combined to score 29 points. India, in fact, led by three points at the end of the first quarter, but conceded a 10-point lead in the second, as world number 47 Japan took control of the game.