The 45th and final league game of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 between India and Netherlands at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was a one-sided affair, with India securing an undefeated journey into the World Cup knockouts with a commanding 160-run victory. India’s outstanding batting performance left fans in awe as they trampled the Netherlands. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul emerged as the stars, orchestrating a formidable 208-run partnership after a solid start by openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
From the beginning, India asserted dominance, with Gill’s aggressive charge. The batting extravaganza continued, with Rohit and Gill mercilessly punishing Netherlands’ bowlers, amassing a staggering 91 without loss in the powerplay. As the partnership grew, so did the despair for the Netherlands. Even though Gill fell for a brisk 51, the momentum didn’t go away. Shreyas surpassed the teams’ 200 in the 29th over and notched up his half-century.
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The top four Indian batters scoring fifty in an ODI World Cup match was a first, setting the stage for Rahul’s explosives. The duo’s relentless assault on the bowling attack left the crowd in awe, culminating in centuries for both Shreyas and Rahul. The final overs saw a flurry of boundaries, with Rahul’s dismissal on the penultimate ball merely a footnote to an exceptional batting display. Shreyas walked off unbeaten on 128 from 94 balls, capping off India’s monumental total of 410 for 4.
In response, the Netherlands showed resilience, reaching 62 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. However, the introduction of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja turned the tide in India’s favor. Despite a valiant effort from Nidamanuru, who notched up a fighting half-century, Rohit’s tactical bowling sealed the deal.
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Mohammed Siraj removed Engelbrecht, and the final blow came from none other than Rohit, wrapping up the Netherlands’ innings. In a hilarious incident during the match, while Virat Kohli was batting, Ishan Kishan brought a water bottle to serve drinks to the batters during a drinks break. However, instead of giving the water bottle to the batters, Ishan Kishan started drinking the water himself.
Ishan kishan had bought drinks for virat kohli but he drink that instead of giving virat #INDvNED #CWC23 #cwc2023 #indvsned pic.twitter.com/ATZROXN69Q
— Somnath Chakraborty (@Somnath44333169) November 12, 2023
This led to an image of the moment going viral where Kishan was spotted drinking water by himself, which Virat Kohli bamboozled and stared at him with an element of surprise.
India’s victory marked their ninth consecutive win in the tournament, extending their unbeaten streak to a record-breaking 16 matches. They will now enter the semi-finals as one of the favorites to win the title. The Netherlands, on the other hand, will be disappointed to have fallen short in their quest to reach the knockout stages. However, they can take pride in their fighting spirit and their ability to compete with some of the best teams in the world.
