AHMEDABAD: Four wins in as many games. Yet to lose a match in an ICC event since November 19, 2023. It was also their only loss across the last four ICC events. That is the Indian men’s cricket team for you as Suryakumar Yadav and Co beat the Netherlands by 17 runs to finish on top of Group A in the ongoing T20 World Cup on Wednesday.
The co-hosts and defending champions were the team to beat when the tournament got underway. They still are to an extent, but the campaign has been far from perfect. They collapsed against the USA before Suryakumar rescued them. Namibia tested them, but Hardik Pandya showed up. Against Pakistan, Ishan Kishan did his part, and versus the Netherlands in Ahmedabad, it was Shivam Dube’s turn.
Coming into the match, Dube had already made two cameos — a 16-ball 23 against Namibia and a 17-ball 27 versus Pakistan — down the order. Here, however, a lot more was needed from Dube. Promoted to No 5 ahead of Hardik, when Dube walked in, India had gone through a lull.
With both Kishan and Abhishek Sharma falling early, the Men in Blue did not have the blistering start that they are used to. After nine overs, the scoreboard read 69/3 with a run rate of 7.66. Given the rate at which India had been going into the lead up to the World Cup and even in their previous two games, it was not up to the mark. In the three overs leading up to Dube’s entry, India had managed only 18 runs with Tilak falling in the eighth over.
The two overs that followed were not easy either, with Aryan Dutt and Kyle Klein keeping it tight. Dube, at one point, was on six runs from 11 balls as the Netherlands threatened to take control of the proceedings. It all changed when Colin Ackermann was brought back.
Dube welcomed him with a massive six over midwicket. He followed it up with a four through the offside and a six over long-on to get going. Just when it seemed like India were gaining momentum, Surya fell. And the over after went in, Hardik was getting his eye in. So much so that after 15 overs, India were only 133/4 and Dube knew what they needed.
Another onslaught began as he took down Roelof van der Merwe for 20 runs in an over. It included two sixes and a four as Dube brought up his fifty in just 25 balls. With Hardik (30 runs from 21 balls), Dube ensured India smashed 60 runs in the last five overs as they finished with 193/6 in 20 overs. Dube, for his part, contributed 66 runs from 31 balls, once again, showcasing the upgraded version of himself at the biggest stage.
Now, it was over to the bowlers who had been the reason behind India’s dominance in the global events. Even in this T20 World Cup, India’s batting depth and ultra-aggressive approach dominated the conversation, while the true game changers had been Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Hardik with the ball. Not to mention the likes of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who quietly add value.
Wednesday was no different as Varun ran through the Netherlands batting line-up with close to 70000 fans cheering for India. He took three of the first four wickets while operating at less than 5 runs per over. Bumrah and Pandya chipped, and it did not take long for India to squeeze the life out of the contest. That is what this bowling attack does best. They bulldoze opponents and drag them through, even if it takes the better part of the 20 overs. And it is one of the main reasons why they have remained unbeaten through this T20 World Cup.
Having said that, the group stages are over, and India are set to face South Africa, Zimbabwe and the West Indies next. And they are yet to put up a perfect performance. Maybe they are saving it for the biggest day in the first week of March, but to get there, India will have to do a lot more than they have so far in this campaign.
Brief scores: India 193/6 in 20 ovs (Dube 65; Van Beek 3/56) bt Netherlands 176/7 in 20 ovs (De Leede 33; Varun 3/14).
