Co-hosts India continue to make comfortable progress at their home T20 World Cup, easing to a 17-run win over the Netherlands in Ahmedabad
India have eased past the Netherlands by 17 runs in their final Twenty20 World Cup group match in Ahmedabad, the co-hosts and defending champions maintaining their perfect record heading into the Super Eight stage.
After winning the toss and opting to bat on Wednesday, India posted 6-193 on a slow pitch on the back of Shivam Dube’s 66 off 31 balls in the middle order while Logan van Beek finished with figures of 3-56.
In response, the already-eliminated Dutch side managed only 7-176 after Varun Chakravarthy picked up 3-14 while Dube also took two wickets to win the player of the match award.
“I try to hit boundaries. I enjoy hitting sixes, but the situation demands if the bowler is good, I have to be prepared. I have to prepare myself to hit boundaries as well,” Dube said on his career-high knock.
“The captain and coach told me that I have to keep the strike-rate high when I come in the middle overs, but it depends on the situation.”
India had a nightmare start in the first over when Abhishek Sharma – the world’s top-ranked T20I batter – fell for a third consecutive duck in the tournament after he was bowled by spinner Aryan Dutt.
Fellow opener Ishan Kishan (18) also fell victim to Dutt in bizarre fashion when he attempted to play the pull shot but failed to connect as the ball came off his arm and rolled into the stumps to dislodge a bail.
India’s troubles deepened when Tilak Varma (31) departed courtesy of a stunning diving catch in the deep by 41-year-old Roelof van der Merwe, while Suryakumar Yadav’s dismissal for 34 left the defending champions wobbling.
Yet Dube entered the fray and unleashed a barrage of boundaries with four fours and six sixes in his match-defining knock, supported by Hardik Pandya’s quickfire 30 in the death overs to propel India to their imposing total.
As the required run-rate mounted, Chakravarthy provided the breakthrough in the powerplay by uprooting Max O’Dowd’s leg stump before Pandya had Michael Levitt caught in the deep.
Chakravarthy was on a hat-trick after dismissing Colin Ackermann and Dutt, while Dube removed dangerman Bas de Leede for 33 to leave the Dutch reeling at 5-112.
Despite scoring 51 off the final four overs in a spirited finale and benefiting from dropped catches, the Netherlands had left themselves too steep a mountain to climb, ending their campaign with three defeats and one victory.
