Match Details
Commentary
India Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav/Arshdeep Singh
Netherlands Probable XI: Michael Levitt, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Colin Ackermann, Scott Edwards (c & wk), Zach Lion Cachet, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Roelof van der Merwe, Kyle Klein/Paul van Meekeren, Fred Klaassen
Preview by Ajay Pal Singh
India ticked off the biggest game of the group stage — a high-stakes clash against arch-rivals Pakistan — with a comfortable win. They now turn their focus to the Netherlands, aiming to finish unbeaten at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (February 18).
With a Super 8 berth already in the bag, the Men in Blue are unlikely to alter their winning combination, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on the eve of the match.
For the Dutch side, qualification looks mathematically impossible. Not only do they have to beat India, but they must do so by a massive margin to overhaul both USA and Pakistan on net run rate. Before that, they would need Namibia to pull off the biggest upset of this T20 World Cup by defeating Pakistan in their final league game.
India are yet to play a complete game but after a scare against the USA, despite not playing to their full potential, they have won the next two games without breaking a sweat.
There was talk before this World Cup that records for the highest team totals would be shattered. Instead, associate nations have punched above their weight, pushing the big teams and ensuring that no contest has been straightforward.
Ahmedabad has been a batting paradise in this tournament so far. The average first-innings score across the three matches played here is over 190, and if India bat first and their openers get going, the sky is the limit for the hosts.
In their last outing, India batted first against Pakistan and posted 175/7 after being sent in. Abhishek Sharma registered his second duck of the T20 World Cup in as many innings, but Ishan Kishan’s breezy half-century took the game away from the Men in Green. Tilak Varma (25), Suryakumar Yadav (32), Shivam Dube (27) and Rinku Singh (11* off just four balls) provided the finishing touches to push India to a competitive total.
In reply, Hardik Pandya struck in his very first over, beginning the defence with a wicket-maiden. Jasprit Bumrah, who shared the new ball, removed Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha in his opening over to push Pakistan firmly on the back foot. Axar Patel then joined the party, striking in his first over to dismiss Babar Azam.
India continued to chip away at regular intervals and eventually bowled Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs. Hardik, Bumrah, Axar and Varun Chakaravarthy picked up two wickets each, while Tilak Varma and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with one apiece.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands head into this contest on the back of a heavy defeat to the United States. After opting to bowl, they conceded 196/6 in 20 overs, with Bas de Leede the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 3 for 37. Logan van Beek, Kyle Klein and Fred Klaassen claimed a wicket each.
In response, only four Dutch batters reached double figures. Bas de Leede top-scored with 23 off 17, while Scott Edwards made 20. Max O’Dowd (13) and Roelof van der Merwe (10) were the others to get starts as the Netherlands were bundled out for 103 in 15.5 overs.
Can the Netherlands stun India, or will the Men in Blue finally breach the 300-run mark and send out a statement ahead of the Super 8s? Tune in at 6 PM IST for our live coverage.
India ticked off the biggest game of the group stage — a high-stakes clash against arch-rivals Pakistan — with a comfortable win. They now turn their focus to the Netherlands, aiming to finish unbeaten at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (February 18).
With a Super 8 berth already in the bag, the Men in Blue are unlikely to alter their winning combination, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on the eve of the match.
For the Dutch side, qualification looks mathematically impossible. Not only do they have to beat India, but they must do so by a massive margin to overhaul both USA and Pakistan on net run rate. Before that, they would need Namibia to pull off the biggest upset of this T20 World Cup by defeating Pakistan in their final league game.
India are yet to play a complete game but after a scare against the USA, despite not playing to their full potential, they have won the next two games without breaking a sweat.
There was talk before this World Cup that records for the highest team totals would be shattered. Instead, associate nations have punched above their weight, pushing the big teams and ensuring that no contest has been straightforward.
Ahmedabad has been a batting paradise in this tournament so far. The average first-innings score across the three matches played here is over 190, and if India bat first and their openers get going, the sky is the limit for the hosts.
In their last outing, India batted first against Pakistan and posted 175/7 after being sent in. Abhishek Sharma registered his second duck of the T20 World Cup in as many innings, but Ishan Kishan’s breezy half-century took the game away from the Men in Green. Tilak Varma (25), Suryakumar Yadav (32), Shivam Dube (27) and Rinku Singh (11* off just four balls) provided the finishing touches to push India to a competitive total.
In reply, Hardik Pandya struck in his very first over, beginning the defence with a wicket-maiden. Jasprit Bumrah, who shared the new ball, removed Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha in his opening over to push Pakistan firmly on the back foot. Axar Patel then joined the party, striking in his first over to dismiss Babar Azam.
India continued to chip away at regular intervals and eventually bowled Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs. Hardik, Bumrah, Axar and Varun Chakaravarthy picked up two wickets each, while Tilak Varma and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with one apiece.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands head into this contest on the back of a heavy defeat to the United States. After opting to bowl, they conceded 196/6 in 20 overs, with Bas de Leede the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of 3 for 37. Logan van Beek, Kyle Klein and Fred Klaassen claimed a wicket each.
In response, only four Dutch batters reached double figures. Bas de Leede top-scored with 23 off 17, while Scott Edwards made 20. Max O’Dowd (13) and Roelof van der Merwe (10) were the others to get starts as the Netherlands were bundled out for 103 in 15.5 overs.
Can the Netherlands stun India, or will the Men in Blue finally breach the 300-run mark and send out a statement ahead of the Super 8s? Tune in at 6 PM IST for our live coverage.
Head-to-Head in T20Is
Matches Played: 1
India Won: 1
Matches Played: 1
India Won: 1
Netherlands Squad: Scott Edwards (c/wk), Colin Ackermann, Noah Croes, Bas de Leede, Aryan Dutt, Fred Klaassen, Kyle Klein, Michael Levitt, Zach Lion-Cachet, Max O'Dowd, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Paul van Meekeren, Saqib Zulfiqar
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk)