T20 World Cup: Shivam Dube’s explosive 66, Varun Chakravarthy’s 3/14 headline India’s 17-run win over Netherlands

AHMEDABAD: Abhishek Sharma was out for his third consecutive duck but showing yet again how dangerous and impactful he can be, Shivam Dube struck a career-best 66 off just 31 balls to star in India’s 17-run win over the Netherlands here on Wednesday.

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The defending champions and co-hosts rounded off the league stage by winning all their four matches and topping Group A. They now take a well-earned breather for the next three days before they take on South Africa at the same venue in their first Super 8s match.




With an aim to help the bowlers get used to defending a total in dewy conditions in the Super 8s, India decided to bat first in the inconsequential tie. Dube’s power-packed half-century — his first in T20 World Cups — lifted India to a daunting 193-6 after they struggled initially against Dutch spinner Aryan Dutt, who bowled brilliantly to finish with 2-19 in four overs.

Varun Chakravarthy then spun some of his own magic, taking 3-14 in three overs, but a spirited Dutch team did well to respond with 176-7.

India dropped a few catches on the night but the biggest worry would be the terrible run of Abhishek, who fell for his fifth duck of the year. Ishan Kishan (18; 7b, 22x4, 1x6), Tilak Varma (31; 27b, 3x4, 1x6) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (34; 28b, 2x4, 1x6) were all dismissed when well set.

When ‘SKY’ was caught at fine leg off Logan van Beek (3-56 in four overs), India were literally crawling at 110/4 in the 14th over. However, all-rounders Hardik Pandya (30; 21b, 3x6) and Dube then put on 76 in just 35 balls for the fifth wicket to give the tournament co-hosts some much needed momentum in the second half of the innings.

With Dube, who reached his fifty off 25 balls, and Pandya tonking nine sixes between them, India plundered 75 in the last five overs, giving plenty of entertainment to the 68,000-strong crowd.

In the penultimate over, the Dube-Pandya pair took 21 off Kyle Klein as Pandya smoked the medium-pacer for two sixes and Dube took a four off him.

Overall, India’s batters struck 13 sixes on the night. Dube, who employs his long levers, timing and raw power to send the ball into orbit if pitched in his arc, had also produced cameos of 23 (16b) and 27 (17 balls) against Namibia and Pakistan in his previous two outings.

Abhishek, meanwhile, lost his leg stump off the third delivery that he faced as Aryan Dutt, bowling brilliantly, had one skidding off the surface. Short of confidence, Abhishek missed the line of the ball completely as tried to heave it on the on side. Delivering a fabulous spell in the Powerplay, Dutt also had Ishan Kishan bowled in a freakish way: the ball brushed off the in-form left-hander’s pads and elbow before trickling on to the stumps even as he tried to stop it.

The Netherlands deserve to be complimented for the way they kept India, who were 51/2 after the Powerplay, in check in the first 15 overs before the Dube-Pandya onslaught.




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