India continue their World Cup campaign on Wednesday as they welcome the Netherlands to the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. The Netherlands have already tasted defeat here against the West Indies and are, for all practical purposes, out of the reckoning, not having mustered a single win with half their matches played. India meanwhile coasted past the Irish on Sunday night, and are now the only team in group B to have not lost a match yet.
India have done well so far, but, thanks to group B’s innate instability and the point lost in the tied match with England, are still not technically assured of a quarter-final berth. It is unthinkable that they will not progress to the next stage, but in view of the opponents to follow (a formidable South Africa; and the mercurial West Indies, who have posed dangers for India before), India will have to put in a strong performance against the Netherlands, so as to garner a good net run rate for safety.
Kotla has housed a benevolent wicket which showers its favour on good performances, be it batting, bowling or slogging. It offered 330 runs for the entertainment of an exploitative West Indies batting order, 6 wickets to a tempestuous Kemar Roach, 4 on debut to Imran Tahir, and some assistance to the discipline of Canadian leggie Balaji Rao.
India:
India has finally regained the diamond from the dirt. Yuvraj Singh has been indicating that he has got back his touch with the bat, for a couple of matches now, but he really carried it through against Ireland, where there would have been too much of a face to save had India lost. What probably righted his ship is the realization that he needed to play more straight – something which had lain forgotten in his mind during all those times in his slump when he had edged the ball behind or fallen across his pads trying to work it too fine. Another boost for India was the lower-middle order sustaining the innings after the vaunted top had had an off day. Yusuf Pathan has done as much as coming in at no.7 can allow one to do on a reasonable day, and on Sunday, he walked in and speedily threw India’s prospects into the credit side.
Piyush Chawla, many might feel, has been persisted with for at least two matches too many. Apart from the facts that he is one of the leg-spinner ilk, who are being favoured this tournament, and had done well against the Europeans in 2007, it is strange that he has been a higher pick over the much wilier and consistent Ravichandran Ashwin. With Harbhajan Singh having had a negligible couple of outings, where he has not stood out for the world-class spinner that he is, India has been suffering a lack of the attacking off-spinner. This may be a perfect opportunity for Ashwin, who may replace Chawla, who has not been in total control of the ball on occasion.
While Zaheer Khan continues to be the worthy spearhead, Yuvraj has done his reputation as part-time bowler some harm with the canny five-for on Sunday! He was the only Indian bowler who got in the full quota of 10 overs, in which he slipped in a match-winning five-for. His variations should find value on the Kotla wicket.
Netherlands:
For the Dutch, Ryan ten Doeschate’s reputed consistency is now due a score after a couple of failures. He has not raised a peep since the attacking century against England, and the Indian bowlers will be wary of his pending assault. Barresi, who weathered the South African attack with a gutsy 44, will be key at the top to resist Zaheer’s initial onslaught. Peter Borren has said, however, that they have been too reliant on ten Doeschate, and will expect the likes of Tom Cooper, Barresi and Bas Zuiderant to stick their hand up.
Pieter Seelar has been the best bowler for the Netherlands during this left-armer-favouring tournament, but went for some runs against the Proteas. Ten Doeschate, never one to stay unnoticed, picked up three, including that of centurion Hashim Amla. Mudassar Bukhari was the only Dutchman to go under 5 an over on Thursday against the Africans, but his comforting pace could be taken to the stands by Virender Sehwag. Berend Westdijk has been going over 8 an over in the last couple of his outings and will have to vary his pace much more to trouble the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir.
Form Guide:
India: WTWWW
Mar 6, 2011 Defeated Ireland by 5 wickets
Feb 27, 2011 Tied with England
Feb 19, 2011 beat Bangladesh by 87 runs
Feb 13, 2011 beat New Zealand by 117 runs
Feb 13, 2011 beat Australia by 38 runs
Feb 27, 2011 Tied with England
Feb 19, 2011 beat Bangladesh by 87 runs
Feb 13, 2011 beat New Zealand by 117 runs
Feb 13, 2011 beat Australia by 38 runs
Netherlands: LLWLL
Mar 3, 2011 Lost to South Africa by 231 runs
Feb 28, 2011 Lost to West Indies by 215 runs
Feb 22, 2011 Lost to England by 6 wickets
Feb 15, 2011 Defeated Kenya by 2 wickets
Feb 12, 2011 Lost to Sri Lanka by 156 runs
Feb 28, 2011 Lost to West Indies by 215 runs
Feb 22, 2011 Lost to England by 6 wickets
Feb 15, 2011 Defeated Kenya by 2 wickets
Feb 12, 2011 Lost to Sri Lanka by 156 runs
Likely teams:
India: Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.
Netherlands: Alex Kervezee, Wesley Barresi, Ryan ten Doeschate, Tom Cooper, Bas Zuiderant, Tim de Grooth, Peter Borren, Mudassar Bukhari, Pieter Seelar, Bernard Loots, Berend Westdijk.
Players to watch:
Yuvraj Singh pulled his fans and detractors back to his side with the controlled fifty against Ireland. He has one more shot with a minnow team to really raise his confidence with the bat. The slow Dutch pace will suit his penchant for the sweeps and lofted on-side hoicks. Not content with his subdued building and buoyed by the short Kotla boundaries, his fans will be screaming: Yuvi, de ghuma ke!
Tom Cooper has had knocks of 55 and 47 thus far at the World Cup and has done well, barring the last game against South Africa. The fifty was at the Kotla too, and he can target the spinners with aggression.
Prediction: The Dutch batting has been found tragically short against the better bowling attacks of South Africa and the West Indian scyther Roach. But whether the Indian unit will be strong enough to avoid a leakage a la James-Anderson-death-bowling will have to be seen. However, after having registered the fourth-largest defeat in World Cups against South Africa, the Dutch are not likely to come firing on all cylinders, as they would need to against India. India should come away with a win and, if all goes to plan, an empowering net run rate too.
