Reference Auto

India had to chase only 190 against the Netherlands, which is not a regular one-day playing side, and managed to do so only after losing five wickets, giving a clear indication that India’s batting might is now beginning to crumble. The Netherlands scored 189 in 35 overs while India managed 191 for five in 36.3 overs.

And again, the star was Yuvraj Singh, who held fort during India’s batting. This inconsistent batting could spell trouble for India in the matches against West Indies and South Africa.

Not winning the two matches can take India to the quarter finals but a victory would not only give India a clear-win record but also boost the morale of the team members.

If India cannot top the table and even Pakistan falls in the pecking order in its group, then the meeting of the two Asian giants could be postponed till at least the semi finals.

According to Dhoni, though the fielding has been tight, India’s lower order should not have finished off the match. India’s bowling has shown some improvement though.

Dhoni said, “There was nothing there for fast bowlers at the Feroze Shah Kotla, and so, Ashish Nehra was replaced by Yusuf Pathan (who didn’t manage to take a wicket though). It is better to use spin bowlers upfront and the seamers later.”

Again, Zaheer Khan picked up three wickets, Piyush Chawla managed two and Ashish Nehra one. PW Borren was the highest scorer for the Netherlands, scoring 38 not out in 46 balls.

For India, Sachin Tendulkar (27 runs) and Virendra Sehwag (39 runs) added 69 runs when Sehwag fell to Pieter Seelar.

Yuvraj was the star, scoring 51 not out, and clinched the Man of the Match award again. This time, he again put up an all-round show taking two wickets. Besides Tendulkar, Sehwag and Yuvraj, the only other batsmen who showed some consistency was Gautam Gambhir with his 28 of 57 balls.

Netherlands captain Peter Borren showered praises on his team, saying, “I am proud of my boys. Hats off to Pieter Seelaar for picking up three wickets, including that of Tendulkar and Sehwag.” Borren felt that around 230 would have been a competitive score.

Batting, which is Team India’s forte, seems to be falling apart against an inexperienced team such as the Netherlands.

The bowlers have been average and Yuvraj (who is not a regular bowler) had to step in to save the day for India again. So, to move ahead in the World Cup, either Team India or Yuvraj will have to be consistent and if both show consistency, the World Cup trophy will not be far away.