It’s experience against ambition as India meet Netherlands at Sydney

After India edged Pakistan in a high-octane thriller at the MCG, it’s time for a new challenge for the Men in Blue as they take on the Orange Legion at the hallowed Sydney Cricket Ground in their second encounter of the T20 World Cup.

Both the teams had a contrasting start to the tournament even though the ilk of excitement was the same in both contests. India prised out a last-ball win after a chaotic final over while Netherlands slumped to a narrow defeat against Bangladesh.

Despite India’s win against their arch-rivals, India will be hoping to course-correct immediately with the top order faltering against Pakistan. However, after the middle-order’s stunning display, hoping a lot from the Indian batting unit will not be unwise.

Virat Kohli found himself screaming in the thick of things while Hardik’s anchoring knock is simply another reason for the Indian fans to be assured about their batting firepower. The presence of an in-form SKY in the line-up also adds up perfectly to the Indian strengths.

Allowing Pakistan to slip away twice after a stunning new ball performance can be a factor that the Indian team may delve into, but overall, it was an excellent bowling display where Arshdeep, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Hardik Pandya pulled off a fine job of restricting Pakistan to 159.

Venue Watch:

Despite Sydney Cricket Ground staying witness to countless historical encounters, the number of T20Is played at the stadium hasn’t been many. With 13 games played, the teams batting first have won 7 while the teams chasing have won 5. The average first innings score at the stadium is 163 while the average score while chasing is significantly on the lower side with the numbers reading 138. As the difference between the first and the second innings scores seem to be quite a significant one, it goes without saying that unless rain plays spoilsport, the team batting first would savour a slight advantage.

Key Player Battles:

Virat Kohli vs Paul van Meekeren: The former Indian captain showcased his fluidity with the bat as he led the Indian battery against an invasive Pakistan, hammering an unbeaten 82 from 53 balls. He would once again be India’s trump card as the Orange Army comes knocking. Paul van Meekeren has been quite a reckoning force for the Netherlands as he has claimed 5 wickets in the ongoing T20 World Cup featuring best figures of 2 for 21 against a seasoned Bangladesh. He can swing the ball by a fair mile which can be a troubling affair for any batsman.

Hardik Pandya vs Bas de Leede: In a battle of two all-rounders, Hardik Pandya would undoubtedly be the favourite but this would not just be a touch-and-go. The Indian all-rounder once again showcased his class in the T20 World Cup opener, claiming three important scalps while stitching together a match-defining partnership helping India tiptoe to the gates of a remarkable win. Bas de Leede, on the contrary, has been in phenomenal shape in the T20 World Cup, bagging nine wickets so far, including the best spell of 3 for 19 against the UAE. He also played an unbeaten knock of 30 against Namibia, underlining his all-round brilliance. He can be a vital cog in the plans of the Netherlands.

Max O’Dowd vs Arshdeep Singh: The young Arshdeep wreaked havoc in his opening spell, clinching the digits of two of Pakistan’s most menacing monikers, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in a span of just 2 overs. He also whipped out an incredible spell where he was angling the ball away from the batter which made it hard for the right-handers to get hold of. Max O’Dowd has been the forebearer of Netherlands’ batting excellence, where he battered a well-constructed 71 against Sri Lanka, 35 against Namibia and a fine 23 against UAE. Despite a rare flop in the preceding game against Bangladesh, Indian bowlers will be wary of the threat he poses at the top.

Match Details:

India vs Netherlands

Sydney Cricket Ground

27th October 2022

12:30 PM

Squads:

India:

Rohit Sharma (captain), Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Hooda, Mohammed Shami

Netherlands:

Tom Cooper, Bas de Leede, Stephan Myburgh, Teja Nidamanuru, Max O’Dowd, Tim Pringle, Vikramjit Singh, Scott Edwards (captain), Colin Ackermann, Logan van Beek, Timm van der Gugten, Roelof van der Merwe, Shariz Ahmad, Brandon Glover, Paul van Meekeren, Fred Klaassen