India huffed and puffed their way to 193/6 in Ahmedabad, enough to defeat Netherlands by 17 runs and seal a perfect 4-0 record heading into the Super Eights. Yet beneath the unbeaten run lie a few concerns before sterner tests arrive in round two.
For the third time in four matches, India lost a wicket in the first over. At 74/3 at the halfway mark, they were again searching for momentum. Then came Shivam Dube. His explosive 66 from 31 balls – striking at 212.90 – stood in stark contrast to almost everyone else, most of whom struggled to score fluently on a slower-than-expected surface.
With the exception of Dube, India’s batsmen made conditions look tougher than they were. A high dot-ball percentage and uncertain shot selection allowed Netherlands to dominate nearly two-thirds of the innings. As has been the pattern in this World Cup, one Indian batter has stood tall each match amid collective stutters. In Ahmedabad, it was Dube.
After Suryakumar Yadav chose to bat, the innings began poorly when Abhishek Sharma was bowled for a third duck of the tournament by Aryan Dutt’s offspin, playing back and across the line. Ishan Kishan briefly counterattacked with a six and two fours but fell for 18 off seven balls in unfortunate fashion, the ball ricocheting off thigh pad and arm onto the stumps.
Tilak Varma and Suryakumar steadied things to 51/2 at the end of the Powerplay — slow by India’s standards. Tilak, making 31 from 27, showed intent with a couple of firm sweeps but continued to look less than comfortable against spin. Suryakumar, unusually subdued, crawled to 13 off 14 at one stage as Netherlands’ bowlers cleverly mixed pace and length to drag the run rate down towards seven.
Roelof van der Merwe’s excellent outfield catch to dismiss Tilak further stalled progress, and when Suryakumar fell for 34 off 28, India were still short of acceleration.
Promoted ahead of Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh, Dube transformed the innings. He targeted Colin Ackermann’s offspin in particular, using his reach against the spinners and depth in the crease against pace. His fifty came off 25 balls, restoring India’s run rate above eight. Pandya, initially scratchy, eventually contributed 30 off 21, including two late sixes, but Dube remained the driving force before falling in the final over.
Set 194, Netherlands began with an asking rate of 9.75. There were only five boundaries in the Powerplay as India kept control. Jasprit Bumrah induced an early chance that went down, but Varun Chakravarthy soon made his mark, removing Max O’Dowd and striking twice more in his opening spell to effectively end the contest.
Wickets to Pandya and Dube ensured Netherlands never seriously threatened, though India were sloppy at the death, conceding 30 across the 18th and 19th overs and dropping two catches in the final over.
A win, certainly. Four from four, emphatically. But India will know that against stronger opposition, huffing and puffing may not suffice.
