Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team finished the World Cup 2023 group stage with a 100 percent win record, claiming nine wins from as many games, after their 160-run triumph over the Netherlands.
With a semifinal date against New Zealand on November 15 confirmed already, the Men in Blue warmed up for the repeat of the 2019 semifinal in some style as they scored 410/4 after batting first before restricting the Dutch batters to 250 runs.
Ton-up Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul dominated the proceedings with the bat, after fifties from Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Rohit. The Indian captain’s decision to bat first after winning the toss paid off spectacularly.
Gill scored a quickfire fifty and after the youngster’s departure, Rohit took the onus upon himself to deliver the fireworks on Diwali.
Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts.
Kohli slammed a fifty, he looked primed to go one clear of Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 49 hundreds, the 50th ODI ton looked on the horizon but Virat was dismissed on 51 however, he did enthral the Bengaluru crowd with his 5th ODI wicket, getting Dutch captain Scott Edwards to end his 9-year break for a success with the ball.
Iyer smashed his maiden World Cup hundred, and he was joined by Rahul, the duo stitched together a magnificent partnership which fired India to their second-highest total in World Cup history.
The Netherlands faced a daunting total of 411 to chase, but they didn’t surrender with ease, and the Dutch kept fighting however, the target proved a mountain too steep to climb.
The likes of Max ODowd, Colin Ackermann, Sybrand Engelbrecht and Teja Nidamanuru all offered plenty of resistance but it was business as usual for Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav among others, with a little bit of help from Kohli and other part-time bowlers.
IND vs NED Highlights ICC World Cup 2023
Infact Indian skipper Rohit himself took on bowling duties in the 47th over, in his attempt to find the tenth wicket. Teja Nidamanuru slammed a massive six against Rohit to bring up his fifty, but the Indian captain had the last laugh, as India wrapped up the 160-run victory to end their group stage campaign unbeaten.
Chasing Australia’s record of most consecutive wins (11) in the World Cup, India will hope to beat New Zealand in the semifinal, and then clinch the coveted trophy in Ahmedabad on November 19.
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