Despite a valiant effort from the Netherlands, they were unable to reach the formidable target of 411 runs set by India. Key players for India included Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who both took wickets in the 25th over.
India maintained a steady run rate of nearly seven per over during the majority of their innings, accelerating during the final Powerplay.
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul contributed a significant 208 runs in 128 balls for the fifth wicket, both securing centuries.
Match 45: India Outshines the Netherlands by 160 Runs
The Netherlands began the match with a positive attitude, despite the daunting target. They suffered an early loss with Wesley Barresi’s dismissal by Mohammed Siraj. However, Colin Ackermann stepped up, showcasing a series of impressive strokes. He was well-supported by Max O’Dowd.
The Netherlands managed to hit 10 boundaries during this period. However, their momentum was halted when Kuldeep Yadav took Ackermann’s wicket. The Dutch batsmen struggled against Yadav’s unorthodox spin bowling.
Ravindra Jadeja also proved to be a challenge for the Dutch, taking a wicket with his first ball. As the match progressed, Rohit Sharma introduced Virat Kohli to the bowling attack, who took his fifth ODI wicket by dismissing the Netherlands’ captain, Scott Edwards.
With the target seeming increasingly unattainable, Rohit Sharma experimented with his bowling options, introducing Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav.
India’s openers started aggressively on the favourable batting pitch in Bengaluru. The first Powerplay saw 15 boundaries, with Shubman Gill’s six-hitting prowess standing out.
Gill and Sharma’s partnership helped India reach 100 runs by the 12th over. Gill was eventually dismissed by an impressive catch from Teja Nidamanuru.
While Virat Kohli initially struggled against the Dutch bowlers, Rohit Sharma continued to score freely, reaching his half-century in the 14th over. However, an ambitious pull shot against Bas de Leede resulted in his dismissal.
After settling in, Kohli began to dominate the bowlers, hitting a variety of shots, including a six against Logan van Beek. He completed his half-century in the 28th over but was dismissed by Roelof van der Merwe before he could reach his 50th century.
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul maintained India’s momentum, with Iyer reaching his half-century in the 34th over. This marked the first time in a Cricket World Cup match that the top four batsmen all scored fifty or more runs.
The scoring rate increased further in the final overs, with both Iyer and Rahul hitting big sixes. Iyer scored his first World Cup century in the 46th over, followed by Rahul in the 50th over. Rahul’s century, which took just 62 balls, was the fastest by an Indian batsman in a World Cup match.
Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. Both teams remained unchanged for the final group match of the Cricket World Cup.