IND VS NED MATCH 45

Right then, 45 matches and countless days of enthralling cricketing action have gone by and finally, we reach the knockout stage of the 2023 World Cup. No matter which side has more wins or is in form, the only thing that will matter now is which side plays their best cricket on that given day as there are no second chances from hereon. The first of the two big semifinals will be played between hosts India and New Zealand at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. That game will be played on Wednesday, the 15th of November and will begin at 2 pm IST (8.30 am GMT). You can however catch our build-up to the game a lot earlier. Do join us then. Till then, take care and goodbye!

The Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma says that it was always about one game at a time and they didn't want to look too much forward. Adds that as they were playing in nine different venues they had to adapt to different conditions. Says they were very clinical throughout these nine games and many individuals stepped at different times which is a great thing. Mentions that they play a lot of cricket in India but still had to adapt as they were playing different opposition and sometimes it becomes difficult. Says that results do matter to keep the dressing environment healthy. Further adds that they are playing the World Cup at home and expectations will be there but they wanted to play with a lot of excitement and that is replicated in their performances. Tells that when the atmosphere is light everyone tends to do well. Ends by saying that when they have five bowling options, it is always nice to have a few more and this was the game they wanted to see and the paced bowling wide yorkers was also according to the plan as they wanted to test themselves.

Scott Edwards, the captain of Netherlands says that they played two really good games of cricket and gave themselves a few opportunities in other games as well but it's tricky to say whether they played their best cricket or not. Adds that they are comfortable with the style of cricket they play and it was a good tournament to get better for the T20 World Cup next year. Mentions that India showed pure class with the bat and even in the phases where they bowled well, the opposition batters soaked up the pressure and they are a class side. Reckons that they are still a fairly young side and for guys like himself and the others, there are training camps set up.

Shreyas Iyer is the Player of the Match for his brilliant ton. Iyer says that he kind of got a De ja vu as he threw his wicket against Australia but in this game wanted to remain unbeaten and get to his hundred as well and the pill that he took helped him to kick in. He says that the scores he got in the last few matches boosted his confidence. Mentions that the wicket was two-paced and he just wanted to stay in the middle and then capitalize later. Says that him hitting straight sixes is not a gift as he has worked hard in the nets for that and he enjoys it a lot. Ends by saying that he always tries to keep his head down and get into a good position and after that just follow through with the bat and finish it off on his shoulders to complete the shot.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first on a track that looked pristine for batting. This decision was well-supported by the opening pair who put on a quickfire 100-run stand. Then, it was another partnership, this time between Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer that got momentum back for India but Kohli too got out after reaching his fifty just like the two openers. Shreyas Iyer backed up the good showing from the last two matches and looked good with KL Rahul too going strong at the other end. The two of them went berserk in the final 10 overs and racked up a ton each to take India to 410, their second-highest score ever in a World Cup game. For Netherlands, there wasn't much to talk about with the ball but Roelof van der Merwe did stand out from the pack with an economical spell and he even picked up a wicket. The rest of the bowlers traveled around the park with Logan van Beek conceding 107 runs in his ten overs. Coming to the chase, it was always going to be 'mission impossible' for the Dutch but they gave it a good go only land up well short of the target.

This marks the end of a historic World Cup campaign for Netherlands where they finished bottom of the table but did notch up a couple of big wins as well. A team that had to rely on great tactics to match the skill of the opposition and they can certainly be proud of themselves. Talking about the chase, Wesley Barresi fell early but Colin Ackermann and Max O'Dowd put on a decent stand with both getting into the thirties and the former timing the ball brilliantly. After the two of them fell in quick succession, it became difficult to score quickly but Sybrand Engelbrecht played a good anchoring knock and then it was a wonderful knock from Teja Nidamanuru where he hit the Indian spinners for multiple sixes that took Netherlands to the 250-run mark. The other batters too tried their best but were sent packing without troubling the scorers much and they ended their campaign with a 160-run loss.

INDIA REACH CLOUD NINE! The host nation rounds off an unblemished showing in the group stage with a big win against the Netherlands and just like the festival of lights 'Diwali' that is being celebrated throughout India, the cricket team has lit-up the hearts of their fans as well. The win was set up by the batters who put on a fine display and all five batters that took the crease at least scored a half-century. The bowlers had more than enough runs to defend and Mohammed Siraj picked up an early wicket as well. The pacers though weren't quite able to conjure up much and then it was Kuldeep Yadav who broke up a crucial stand. Ravindra Jadeja followed suit and picked up a wicket himself but India just couldn't rip through the Dutch middle order. They tried out a few part-time options and it was Virat Kohli who picked up the wicket of the opposition skipper. Slowly but surely, the bowlers started to pick up wickets at regular intervals and Jasprit Bumrah got a couple of wickets as well just like Siraj, Jadeja and Kuldeep. In the end, it was the skipper who rolled his arms over and picked up the final wicket of the group stage and sealed the win for his side.

OUT! TAKEN! Rohit Sharma fittingly finishes things off for India! He flights this one up, full and on off, turns in a bit, Teja Nidamanuru goes for the slog again but the turn in means he hits it with the bottom part of the bat as the ball goes high in the air towards long on where Mohammed Shami settles under it and pouches it safely. INDIA WIN BY 160 RUNS!

SIX! FIFTY FOR TEJA! A good knock from him and he has shown his abilities here in this game. Rohit Sharma drags his length back and on middle, Teja Nidamanuru rocks back and smashes it way over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.

Flatter, full and around off, Teja Nidamanuru looks for the reverse-sweep but misses it.

Goes short and outside off, Paul van Meekeren cuts it towards sweeper covers for a single.

Rohit Sharma starts with a floated delivery, full and on middle, Paul van Meekeren keeps it out to the leg side.

Overpitched and on off, Teja Nidamanuru drives it firmly straight to mid off.

FOUR! Nicely played! This is a low full toss, on leg, Teja Nidamanuru flicks it away towards the vacant deep mid-wicket fence as Kuldeep Yadav covers a lot of ground to his left and dives to push it back inside but dives over the ball and lets it through for a boundary.

Length again, on off, slower too, Paul van Meekeren steers it towards third man as well for another run.

On a length and around off, Teja Nidamanuru runs it down to third man for a run.