Nov 12 (The Street Press India) – The strong Indian team has been doing really well in the World Cup. It wouldn’t be surprising if they continue their success against Netherlands in the last league game. Virat Kohli has a great chance to score his 50th century in this game, especially since he’s playing at his favorite venue.
India is already through to the semifinals, and the Netherlands, having been eliminated, are heading home. This makes their upcoming match seem less significant.
In a World Cup, every match is crucial, and teams strive for ultimate glory. India, maintaining momentum, aims to achieve team goals against the Netherlands. Significant changes to the playing eleven are unlikely at this stage.
Cricket is a game driven by outcomes and statistics, and the anticipation of a historic personal milestone adds excitement to this match. Kohli, having matched Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI hundreds, is now on the verge of his 50th ton.
While Kohli may prefer to block out external distractions and concentrate on scoring runs, there’s a growing expectation that he achieves this milestone at his IPL home.
Kohli has been in impressive form, topping India’s batting chart with 543 runs. This marks his first time crossing the 500-run milestone in a 50-over World Cup. In previous editions, he scored 282 runs in 2011, 305 in 2015, and 443 in 2019, where Tendulkar, Shikhar Dhawan, and Rohit Sharma were the main contributors with the bat.
Kohli aims to avoid any mistakes in India’s final league game, using it to sharpen his form for the upcoming semifinals after a week-long break. From a team perspective, the management hopes to see more runs from Suryakumar Yadav, who has scored 85 runs in four matches with an average of 21.25.
Suryakumar Yadav is the only player in the Indian lineup yet to reach fifty, highlighting a modest run in ODIs. Despite entering the eleven due to Hardik Pandya’s injury, he hasn’t fully capitalized on the opportunity. The match against the Netherlands provides a chance for him to rectify this.
Additionally, there’s a minor issue in the Indian batting upfront, a detail that has somewhat escaped notice during their eight consecutive wins in the tournament.
Rohit and Shubman Gill have formed three fifty-plus partnerships in the tournament, but in five other matches, they were dismissed early. However, in those three games, they started strongly, causing trouble for the opposition. Notably, they scored 88 runs in 12.4 overs against Bangladesh, 71 in 11.1 overs against New Zealand, and 62 in 5.5 overs against South Africa.
Rohit and Shubman Gill’s partnerships were cut short at 5, 32, 23, 26, and 4 on other occasions. The team would like them to replicate the success of those three matches, and facing the Netherlands provides an ideal opportunity.
India’s bowling, led by pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, along with spinners, has generally been trouble-free for opponents. However, there’s room for improvement in the consistency of line and length from Mohammed Siraj, which the management might be looking for.
The highly efficient Indian bowling unit seeks one final rehearsal before the last-four clash, possibly against New Zealand in Mumbai. In contrast, the Dutch team aims to give the red-hot Indian side a challenge. Despite having capable bowlers like Logan Van Beek, Bas de Leede, and Paul van Meekeren, they might find it challenging to contain the strong Indian batting lineup on the typically smooth Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch.
The Dutch top-order batsmen, including Teja Nidamanuru, Max O’Dowd, and Wesley Barresi, have struggled for runs in this tournament. Facing the well-drilled Indian bowlers might pose a considerable challenge for them.
India’s Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Prasidh Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav.
Netherlands Squad: Scott Edwards (c), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad, Sybrand Engelbrecht.
The match is set to begin at 2 PM. Enjoy the game!
