In front of over 90,000 spectators at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, during an action-and-incident-packed T20 match for the ages, Virat Kohli’s stunning 82* off 53 deliveries drove India to a last-ball win over Pakistan. Twelve months on from a record ten-wicket loss to this team on another similar Sunday that opened the two teams’ campaigns at the 2021 T20 World Cup, India clinched victory by four wickets to put themselves in pole position to top Group 2.
After the unparalleled high of Sunday at the MCG, where an extraordinary match threw up two batting collapses, some excellent pace bowling, a deluge of sixes, dollops of drama and confusion and controversy and ended with in the tightest finish possible, Rohit Sharma’s team now face Netherlands at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. There will be no talk of rest or relaxation from the Indian camp, given how they fared at the previous T20 World Cup and this year’s Asia Cup, despite some questions over a couple key players being managed due to stiffness and niggles.
In addition to what India’s bowling coach Paras Mhambrey told reporters during the customary press conference on Wednesday,
this writer has reliably learned that Hardik Pandya, who was seen cramping during the frenetic chase at the MCG, is fit and raring to go and will play.
Netherlands are in the Super 12 stage on merit, having finished second in their qualifying round group despite losing their last match to Sri Lanka. In their first game of the Super 12s, Netherlands did wonderfully to reign Bangladesh in from 44 for no loss to 76/5, and chasing 145 they ended up needing 24 off the final over and 12 from the last two balls. Despite losing to Bangladesh, the Dutch are confident of pulling off an upset during the Super 12s.
This match will be the first between India and Netherlands in T20Is. The two countries have meet only twice in ODIs, during the 2003 and 2011 World Cups.
TEAM NEWS
India
There were murmurs about Pandya sitting out this match, but Mhambrey said that no one would be rested because this team management wants every player to be ready to step in at any time. In his words, “Hardik wants to play all matches”.
That said, the T20 format is so fickle that one poor match could see the team’s most successful spin bowler of recent times get benched. Axar Patel bowled one over during the match at the MCG, which cost 21 runs, and was run out for just two runs when promoted to No 5. Since India got the other 19 overs out of their four pacers and R Ashwin, there is a slim chance that Deepak Hooda gets the nod in place of Axar.
The Indian team did not train a day before this match on account of the stadium allotted for training – a decision taken well in advance and signed off by team officials – being over 40 kilometers away in the suburb of Black Town.
India likely XI: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Axar Patel/Deepak Hooda, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep Singh
Netherlands
Given that the bowlers didn’t do much wrong in the loss to Bangladesh in Hobart, no major changes are expected. With no word on Roelof van der Merwe’s injury, the teenaged spin bowler Shariz Ahmad should retain his place. In four matches at this World Cup there have been seven ducks in the Netherlands’ lineup – two of them to Colin Ackermann – so the batting has to perform better.
Netherlands likely XI: 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Bas de Leede, 4 Colin Ackermann, 5 Tom Cooper, 6 Scott Edwards (capt/wk), 7 Tim Pringle, 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Shariz Ahmad, 10 Fred Klaasen, 11 Paul van Meekeren
PITCH & CONDITIONS
Just one match of this tournament has been played at the SCG, the opening match of the Super 12, where New Zealand made 200/3 and beat Australia by 89 runs. Pace and spin had a say in that match, so expect India’s varied attack to come into play early as well as Netherlands’ assortment of quicks and finger spinners and cross-seam options. Though Sydney is generally the most ‘Asian’ of Australian venues, in T20 cricket it is pace that has often had a bigger say there.
The weather forecast for Thursday in Sydney shows very little chance of rain, despite three overcast days, and the humidity is predicted to be as high as 60%.
PREDICTION
India will not want to take this match easily after the high of beating Pakistan, especially with rain around and the chance of net run rate coming into play at the end of this round. Expect runs from KL Rahul, wickets to the fast bowlers and an Indian victory to put Rohit’s team on top of Group 2.
