- Centuries by Iyer, Rahul
- India Dominates Netherlands
- Netherlands Falls Short
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul each scored centuries as India, the defending World Cup champions, defeated the Netherlands by a resounding 160 runs on Sunday to maintain their perfect record with nine group victories and advance to the semi-finals.
Following breezy half-centuries by Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli on a good M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch, Iyer (128 not out) hit his fourth ODI century before Rahul (102) erupted as the duo illuminated the stage for India at 410 for four on the Hindu festival of Diwali.
Netherlands’ Challenging Chase
The bottom-placed Dutch side, which needed a record World Cup chase to win, were dismissed for 250 in 47.5 overs despite strong starts from Max O’Dowd (30), Colin Ackermann (35), Sybrand Engelbrecht (45), and Teja Nidamanuru (54).
In addition to Kuldeep Yadav (two for 41), Jasprit Bumrah (two for 33), and Ravindra Jadeja (two for 49), Mohammed Siraj (two for 29) recovered from a throat injury he sustained while fumbling a catch to help India defeat New Zealand in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
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Captain’s Satisfaction with Team Performance
“In all honesty, the objective ever since the tournament’s inception has been to perform admirably in each match we participated in,” said India skipper Anand Sharma. “Everyone did exactly that.” We are extremely satisfied with our performance in these nine contests. We have been clinical since the very beginning of the game. “Different individuals have assumed leadership roles at various junctures,” he explained. “When all members of a team are excited to assume responsibility and complete the task at hand, this is a positive sign.”
Batting Brilliance and Key Moments
Iyer completed his century with five sixes and ten fours off 84 balls, whereas Rahul completed his century with two enormous sixes in the final over that propelled India past 400 with 62 balls. The highest fourth-wicket stand in World Cup history, it amounted to 208 runs, and India amassed 126 runs in their last ten overs to post the third total in excess of 400.
“I injured my arm on 95, so I had to take a moment to compose myself down,” said Iyer, the player of the match. “Recent innings have significantly bolstered my confidence.” “I was aware that I needed to capitalise on a good start, as the wicket was playing a bit tense and two-paced, not exactly an easy one to begin on.”
After triumphantly tossing and electing to bat, India tested the Netherlands as Sharma and Gill consistently hit boundaries, providing them with an outstanding foundation with 91 runs in the powerplay. Gill, who had reached his twelfth half-century, was harsh on the bowlers with three fours and four sixes.
However, the world’s number one batsman encountered a deep fielder while attempting a short delivery from Paul van Meekeren.
Bas de Leede rewarded the Netherlands’ efforts with a wide long-on dismissal of Sharma (51). However, a 71-run stand between Kohli (51) and Iyer propelled India past 200 runs in the 29th over. After a shaky start to his pursuit of 50 ODI centuries and surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record, Kohli enthralled the crowd with a variety of shots. However, Roelof van der Merwe momentarily silenced supporters by shattering his stumps with a flatter delivery.
“India demonstrated impeccable taste with the bat.” “During periods, I thought we bowled well,” said Scott Edwards, captain of the Netherlands. “They were absorbed by the atmosphere. They will be a formidable opponent for the remainder of the tournament. Regarding ourselves, we are still a youthful side, so our focus is on development.”
