3 things Netherlands need to do right to beat Australia in the 2023 World Cup
The Netherlands have already shown glimpses of their immense ceiling so far in the 2023 World Cup.
While they have lost three of their four matches to be placed close to the bottom of the points table, they notched up a excellent win over South Africa and have managed to fight hard in the other games as well.
The Netherlands will face one of their biggest tests yet on Wednesday, October 25, when they lock horns with Australia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Pat Cummins' men haven't been at their best either, but they've managed to amass a two-match winning streak heading into this contest.
Scott Edwards and Co. are known to be completely against the words "upset" and "Associate", so they'll be viewing this clash as another game in which they can get closer to their knockout dream. However, they will be realistic and will know that they need to play out of their skins to beat the Aussies.
Here are three things the Netherlands need to do right to beat Australia in the 2023 World Cup.
#3 The openers must play more positively
One of the biggest reasons behind the Netherlands being where they are in the points table is the form of their top order. Colin Ackermann has played a couple of important knocks at No. 3, but the openers and No. 4 Bas de Leede haven't fired with the bat so far.
Max O'Dowd has managed just 55 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 57.89, while Vikramjit Singh has recorded 70 runs at a strike rate of 60.34. Both batters are perfectly capable of playing their shots, having displayed the same in various matches over the last year or two.
O'Dowd and Vikramjit need to shed their caution in the powerplay and play with more intent. By upping their strike rates, they will be able to put pressure on Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who haven't been in full rhythm with the ball. That will also relieve some of the burden on the Netherlands' middle order.
Against a team like Australia, the Dutch openers won't be able to dig themselves out of a dot-ball hole.
#2 The Dutchmen need to play out Adam Zampa without taking too many risks
After an indifferent start to his World Cup, a patch of form that coincided with Australia losing two on the trot, Adam Zampa has come into his own in the last two matches.
Zampa picked up eight wickets in the Aussies' wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan, bringing out his full bag of tricks and bamboozling the batters. The Netherlands have a couple of decent players of spin in the middle order, including captain Edwards, but they will know that they can't play into the leggie's hands.
The trick to beating Australia seems to involve playing out Zampa and capitalizing on the lack of quality spin from the other end. The Netherlands will do well to negotiate the dangerous spinner's threat by milking him for singles and doubles while trying to cash in on the fifth bowler's quota.
#1 Netherlands need to get through Australia's top three and expose the middle order
There are rumors floating around that Travis Head might make his long-awaited after injury comeback against the Netherlands. Whether that happens or not, there's no doubt that the Dutchmen need to make early inroads and send the Aussie top three back to the hut as fast as possible.
David Warner and Mitchell Marsh have hit a purple patch at the top of the order, and batting in Delhi has been easier than expected so far in the 2023 World Cup. If Head returns, Marsh will move down to No. 3, after which an under-fire middle order is waiting to be exploited.
If the likes of Paul van Meekeren and Logan van Beek can produce a couple of beauties to get rid of the openers, they could make the most of the struggles of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. Smith and Labuschagne average 18 and 30.25 respectively in the tournament, and others like Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell haven't fared much better.
There's no doubt that the Netherlands need to dismiss Australia's top three early and put pressure on the out-of-sorts middle order if they are to claim another famous World Cup triumph.