India, in their final group game, overcame a cagey start against Netherlands before carving out a 17-run victory and keeping their slate clean in the ICC T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
Opting to bat first, India were in a spot of bother but managed to finish on a high with 193 for six. It was three matches, three ducks for Abhishek Sharma. Coming on the back of two zeroes, Sharma was visibly nervous and his plan of hitting his way into form failed, as he completely missed the ball from Dutch off-spinner Aryan Dutt and saw his stumps knocked over.
Dutt troubled the Indian batters early on and also dismissed the in-form Ishan Kishan (18) as the ball trickled onto the stumps. India finished powerplay at 51 for 2. Roelof van der Merwe, 41, pulled off a stunning, diving catch at long-off to end the budding partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma (31).
After a quiet few minutes, India launched into the attack in the 12th over, with Yadav picking up a six on the leg side. Shivam Dube then got into the act, hitting two sixes and a four, as India amassed 19 runs in the 13th over.
Despite Yadav departing for 34, Dube carried on in the same vein, muscling the ball all around the park. He struck six sixes and four fours for a 31-ball 66. During his innings of 30 off 21, Hardik Pandya crossed the milestone of 6000 runs in T20 cricket. India clobbered 75 runs in the last five overs to take the score to 193 for 6.
“It was a little tough, this is the situation I love to bat. I was enjoying, although I was under pressure. It was skidding and keeping low. One of the balls spun as well. For me, I knew I could hit, but the situation demanded something different. I try to hit boundaries and enjoy hitting sixes. I know all the bowlers are going to bluff me, and are going to bowl slower balls, so I prepared myself. As captain and coach have told me, I have to keep strike rate high. But it also depends on the situation. Today I could not keep the strike rate high (immediately). There was something and I thought this is the time I can go now. Working hard towards bowling. Results are coming. You are going to get hit sometimes, but you will also pick wickets,” said Shivam Dube, who was named the Player of the Match.
Netherlands were set a target of 194 and they got off to a steady start. The openers put up 35 runs before Varun Chakaravarthy broke through, dismissing Max O’Dowd for 20. The visitors added another 16 runs with the other opener Michael Levitt, succumbing to Hardik Pandya in the eighth over.
Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann upped the ante with a 53-run partnership off 26 balls but with the required run rate rising, Ackermann first fell by the sword, holing out in the deep to the bowling of Varun Chakaravarthy.
The Indian spinner was on a hat-trick for a second time in two matches, deceiving Aryan Dutt with a wonderful googly. The well-set De Leede too followed him to the dugout soon after, with India’s batting hero Shivam Dube also making an impact with the ball.
Jasprit Bumrah produced a trademark death rattle to disturb the stumps of skipper Scott Edwards. Reduced to 125 for 6 after 16 overs, the Netherlands were staring down the barrel before Zach Lion-Cachet and Noah Croes counter-attacked with a flurry of big hits to narrow the gap.
Croes smashed three boundaries off four balls – two off the last two balls of Washington Sundar’s spell and one off Arshdeep Singh – before Lion-Cachet too got in on the act with a boundary and a six.
Two more boundaries from Croes off Hardik Pandya trimmed the equation to 28 off the final over. But Shivam Dube held his nerve at the death, conceding little and removing Lion-Cachet to seal a 17-run win, as India wrapped up the group stage unbeaten.
“We started really well. Lot of credit to Aryan. He has been sensational for us for a few years. We felt right in the game (for a while). We know they have firepower all the way down. To keep them under control for 14-15 overs was sensational. A couple of missed chances, missed execution and these guys will make you pay. They had wickets in hand, and took down a few overs at the end,” said Netherlands captain Scott Edwards.
“Any time you come here, you learn a lot. Grounds are smaller, pitches are flatter, crowds are bigger and there is so much hype. As a group, we pride ourselves on playing well in the big moments. Played well but in the moments – we have to make those moments count,” he added.
Brief scores: India 193 for six in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 31, Suryakumar Yadav 34, Shivam Dube 66, Hardik Pandya 30; Aryan Dutt 2/19, Logan van Beek 3/56) beat Netherlands 176 for seven in 20 overs (Michael Levitt 24, Max O’Dowd 20, Bas de Leede 33, Colin Ackermann 23, Zach Lion-cachet 26, Noah Croes 25 not out; Varun Chakravarthy 3/14, Shivam Dube 2/35).
