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India take on the Netherlands at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore for match no. 45 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Sunday, November 12. It has been a sensational run in the World Cup for the hosting nation. India are through to the semi-finals and are confirmed of a top-of-the-table finish in the group stages, courtesy of their eight-match winning streak. The only unbeaten team in the tournament were up against South Africa in the last match and in what was expected to be a close encounter, the batting and bowling units breezed past the Proteas.
India posted 326/5 in 50 overs courtesy of Virat Kohli’s century and Shreyas Iyer’s 77. In response, South Africa were bowled out for a paltry 83 runs, their second-lowest total in ODIs, as India picked up a 243-run victory.
The Netherlands, on the other hand, had their moments of glory in the tournament. However, with only two wins in eight matches and the last match against the table-topper, they might finish at the bottom.
In their previous match, they lost to England by a massive 160-run margin, which dented their ambitions of making it to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The top eight teams in the ongoing World Cup will make it to the tournament in 2025 and it seems like the heavy defeat to England has shut the doors on their ambitions. However, a victory against India could bring them back into contention.
Rohit Sharma vs Logan van Beek
The Indian skipper has been in magnificent form in the ICC World Cup 2023. He scored 442 runs in eight matches at a strike-rate of 122.77, which includes one century against Afghanistan and two half-centuries against Pakistan and England.
His battle up front against Netherlands’ in-form new ball bowler Logan van Beek will be one to watch out for. Van Beek has picked up 12 wickets in seven matches and maintains an impressive economy of 6.06.
Virat Kohli vs Roelof van der Merwe
Virat Kohli is one of the leading run-scorers in the tournament, only a few runs short of Quinton de Kock’s tally. He has 543 runs in eight matches, which includes two centuries and four half-centuries. He averages a spectacular 108.60 and maintains a strike-rate of 88.29. Roelof van der Merwe, meanwhile, has scalped five wickets at an economy of 5.60.
Kohli and Van Der Merwe played together in the IPL back in 2009 and in ODIs, they came up against each other. The left-arm spinner bowled 20 deliveries to Kohli, who scored only 12 runs but didn’t give away his wicket.
Shreyas Iyer vs Bas de Leede
Bas de Leede has been sensational for the Netherlands in the middle overs. With 14 wickets to his credit, the Dutch all-rounder made his presence felt with the ball in the tournament and his battle against India’s No. 4 batter Shreyas Iyer will be very crucial.
Shreyas Iyer scored 293 runs in eight matches and is coming into this match on the back of two successive half-centuries. He smashed 82 off 56 balls against Sri Lanka and followed it up with a responsible knock against South Africa, notching 77 off 87 balls.
Sybrand Engelbrecht vs Mohammad Shami
Sybrand Engelbrecht has been one of the Netherlands’ most solid batters in the tournament. Engelbrecht has put a good price tag on his wicket and made the bowlers work hard to get him away. He scored 255 runs in seven matches, which includes two half-centuries and is Netherlands’ leading run-scorer in the tournament.
Mohammad Shami, on the other hand, has been in sensational form with the ball. In only four matches, he picked up 16 wickets, which includes two five-fors. With Mohammed Siraj likely to be rested for this fixture, Shami might also get a crack with the new ball.
Scott Edwards vs Kuldeep Yadav
Skipper Scott Edwards has chipped in with some invaluable contributions in the tournament. His half-century under crucial circumstances against South Africa earned them a memorable win against one of the title contenders. He has scored 242 runs in eight matches so far.
Since he bats in the middle overs, his biggest problem will be to face the threat of Kuldeep Yadav, who has been one of the best spinners in the tournament. Kuldeep picked up 12 wickets in eight matches at a stunning economy of 4.15 and has been one of the underrated stars of the tournament so far.
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