Mohammed Shami, the Indian speedster, has captured the hearts of fans from both India and the Netherlands with his kind gesture following India’s victory over the Netherlands in the ODI World Cup 2023. Shami was seen engaging with young bowlers eager to learn from the master of swing. Meanwhile, the ‘Men in Blue’ continued their relentless dominance in the tournament, maintaining their unbeaten streak by winning all nine league stage matches.
After winning the toss and electing to field first, India’s bowlers unleashed their fury on the Netherlands’ batting lineup. Skipper Rohit Sharma and his opening partner Shubman Gill provided a solid start with a 100-run partnership. The Dutch bowlers’ misery continued as Virat Kohli kept the scoreboard ticking until Van der Merwe dismissed him after he had reached his half-century.
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However, the Dutch bowlers were unaware that India had more firepower in store. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul showcased their class with stunning centuries, helping India post a mammoth total of 410 in 50 overs. The Netherlands’ chase suffered an early setback when Wesley Barresi fell prey to Mohammed Siraj for just four runs. Despite some resistance from Max O’Dowd and Colin Ackermann, the pressure of chasing a massive score never subsided.
Shami passing his experience to Netherlands bowlers.
– A beautiful gesture by Shami. pic.twitter.com/d8akt6kwqx
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 12, 2023
Interestingly, Indian captain Rohit Sharma experimented with his bowling, giving star batters a chance to bowl. This meant that Mohammed Shami was unable to bowl his full quota of 10 overs. In his six overs, Shami conceded 41 runs and remained wicketless, despite his outstanding performances in previous ODI World Cup 2023 matches for India.
Despite wickets falling regularly, Sybrand Engelbrecht held his ground, while over half of the Indian team enjoyed bowling for fun. The Dutch side showed fighting spirit until the end, with Teja Nidamanuru top-scoring with a valiant 54 runs off just 39 balls, including six sixes and a boundary.
WATCH – Virat Kohli Takes Wicket of Scott Edwards; Anushka Sharma’s Reaction Goes Viral
In a surprising turn of events, key batsmen Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav bowled for India. Kohli, bowling after a nine-year hiatus, claimed the crucial wicket of Netherlands captain Scott Edwards. The adventure didn’t end there, as skipper Rohit Sharma himself took the last wicket to seal the victory for India.
The hosts will now face New Zealand in the knockout phase of the ODI World Cup 2023. The semi-final between the two teams will take place at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 15.
