Still waiting: Abhishek Sharma eyes first runs as India face Netherlands before Super 8s

AHMEDABAD: Fresh from a morale-boosting 61-run win over Pakistan in Colombo, India will hope Abhishek Sharma rediscovers form ahead of the Super 8s when they face the Netherlands in their final World Cup league match at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. The contest may not test the defending champions fully, but it offers a valuable opportunity to acclimatise to a venue where India will play their opening Super 8 fixture against South Africa on February 22, and potentially the final on March 8.

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Despite the fixture’s one-sided look on paper, a sizeable turnout is expected at the world’s largest cricket stadium. “We are expecting more than 70,000 spectators. Around 70,000 turned up for the South Africa-New Zealand game here last week,” Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Anil Patel told TOI.




With India already through to the next stage — where they will face South Africa (Feb 22, Ahmedabad), Zimbabwe (Feb 26, Chennai) and West Indies (March 1, Kolkata) — staying mentally sharp for what is effectively an inconsequential tie could be the bigger challenge.

The spotlight, meanwhile, is on Abhishek. The explosive left-hander arrived at his maiden T20 World Cup with considerable hype after 18 months of destructive opening batting, but has endured a barren run — dismissed for ducks in both matches he has played. In fact, the 25-year-old Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad batter has four ducks in his last six innings. He also missed the Namibia game in Delhi due to illness.

India’s strong start from Ishan Kishan — the team’s leading run-scorer with 158 runs at a strike rate of 197.50 — has masked Abhishek’s lean patch. But against stronger opponents in the Super 8s, India would want their left-handed aggressor firing on all cylinders. Perhaps a slight recalibration is needed. Yet this is also the kind of game where Abhishek’s high-risk, high-reward approach can flourish. Against Pakistan, he fell to Salman Ali Agha off the fourth ball; against USA, he perished first ball to Ali Khan.




The Netherlands clash presents an ideal chance for him to regain rhythm. India’s middle order, too, will look to fine-tune their approach against spin on surfaces offering assistance. Team combination could be another talking point. With three Super 8 matches in nine days, India may consider resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. If so, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh could share new-ball duties.

On slower tracks, India opted for wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Arshdeep in Colombo. Whether they stick with Kuldeep remains to be seen. The Netherlands began the tournament brightly, pushing Pakistan to the brink and defeating Namibia by seven wickets. But a 93-run thrashing by USA in Chennai has dented their momentum. To compete against a settled and well-rounded Indian side, the Dutch will need a significant uplift.

In their opening match of the T20 World Cup, South Africa made 213 for four against Canada here — the highest score in India so far in the tournament. If India’s bevy of shot-makers get going, they total may be breached.


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