Ahmedabad, February 18 – Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was pleased with the decision to bat first and praised his team's overall effort after India defended 193/6 to register a hard-fought 17-run victory over the Netherlands in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
"We wanted to bat first, and we scored 190. There was a bit of dew, which made it slightly challenging for the bowlers, but overall, I'm very happy," Suryakumar said after the match.
India's innings had its share of early setbacks. Abhishek Sharma was out for his third consecutive duck of the tournament, while Aryan Dutt dismissed both Abhishek and Ishan Kishan (18) in the Power-play. Tilak Varma (31) then stabilized the innings before the middle order dramatically shifted gears.
Shivam Dube was the standout performer, smashing a brilliant 66 off just 31 balls, bringing up a half-century in 25 balls and taking the attack to both spin and pace. India plundered 15 runs in the 16th over and 20 in the next to surpass 150, before Rinku Singh added the finishing touches to take the total to 193/6. "When he (Dube) played at Vizag (against NZ), he had another good innings. He was also aiming for the Player of the Match award that day, but to reach 190 (tonight), it was amazing," Suryakumar said in praise of the all-rounder.
Reflecting on the team's overall performance, he added, "We might be in a similar situation (losing early wickets), but it is important for the batsmen to understand their responsibility. We have a strong batting lineup (later). We have achieved a lot. Even when you win, you learn a lot, and we did today."
Suryakumar also highlighted India's bowling depth. "Sometimes, it's a good problem to have. We have a lot of options. On any given day, whatever the wicket demands, they can contribute. I'm happy with how things are progressing. We're getting contributions from every batter. One or two might have a great day, but we need contributions from everyone."
The Netherlands began their chase confidently, adding 35 for the opening stand before India struck. Colin Ackermann and Bas de Leede put together a brisk 43-run partnership to keep the contest alive, capitalizing on a few missed chances.
Dutch captain Scott Edwards acknowledged his team's strong phases but admitted that key moments were missed. "We started really well. A lot of credit to Aryan. He has been sensational for us for a few years. We felt like we were in control for a while. We know they have a strong batting lineup all the way down. Keeping them under control for 14-15 overs was a fantastic achievement."
However, he conceded that lapses proved costly. "A couple of missed chances, missed execution, and these guys will make you pay. They had wickets in hand and took down a few overs at the end."
Looking at the bigger picture, Edwards reflected on the learning curve. "Any time you come here, you learn a lot. The grounds are smaller, the pitches are flatter, the crowds are bigger, and there's a lot of hype. As a group, we pride ourselves on performing well in the big moments. We played well, but in those moments, we have to make the most of them."
