Ahmedabad, Feb 18 (IANS) Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav was pleased with the decision to bat first and lauded his team’s all-round effort after India defended 193/6 to register a hard-fought 17-run win over the Netherlands in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
“We wanted to bat first, and went on to score 190. There was a bit of dew, a little challenging for the bowlers, but all in all, very happy,” Suryakumar said after the match.
India’s innings had its share of early setbacks. Abhishek Sharma fell for his third consecutive duck of the tournament, while Aryan Dutt struck twice in the Power-play to remove both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan (18). Tilak Varma (31) steadied the innings before the middle order shifted gears dramatically.
Shivam Dube was the standout performer, smashing a breathtaking 66 off just 31 balls, bringing up a 25-ball half-century and taking the attack to both spin and pace. India plundered 15 runs in the 16th over and 20 in the next to surge past 150, before Rinku Singh added the finishing touches to push the total to 193/6. “When he (Dube) played at Vizag (against NZ), he had another knock. He wanted to get the POTM award that day too, but to get to 190 (tonight), it was amazing,” Suryakumar said in praise of the all-rounder.
Reflecting on the team’s overall performance, he added, “We might be in a similar situation (losing early wickets), but it is important for the batters to understand what the responsibility is. We have firepower (later). We have ticked a lot of boxes. Even when you win, you learn a lot of things, and we did today.”
Suryakumar also highlighted India’s bowling depth. “Sometimes it is a good headache to have. Have a lot of options. On a given day, whatever the wicket demands, they can chip in. Happy with the way things are moving. Contributions coming from every batter. One or two might have a beautiful day, but we need contributions from each and every one.”
The Netherlands began their chase confidently, adding 35 for the opening stand before India struck. Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede stitched together a brisk 43-run partnership to keep the contest alive, capitalising on a few missed chances.
Dutch captain Scott Edwards acknowledged his team’s strong phases but admitted key moments slipped away. “We started really well. A lot of credit to Aryan. He has been sensational for us for a few years. We felt right in the game (for a while). We know they have firepower all the way down. To keep them under control for 14-15 overs was sensational.”
However, he conceded that lapses proved costly. “A couple of missed chances, missed execution, and these guys will make you pay. They had wickets in hand and took down a few overs at the end.”
Looking at the bigger picture, Edwards reflected on the learning curve. “Any time you come here, you learn a lot. Grounds are smaller, pitches are flatter, crowds are bigger, and there is so much hype. As a group, we pride ourselves on playing well in the big moments. Played well, but in those moments, we have to make those moments count.”
--IANS
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